A Diamond in the Sand
by sprite21
Summary: Her village was destroyed, he was betrayed and never has known love, both share a common fate. Their destinies have intertwined but they won't see eye to eye. Will she learn to trust? Will he learn to love? Or will they destroy each other? ON MAJOR HIATUS
1. The Destruction

(First and formost I want to state that I do not own any Naruto characters…. Not even Gaara sniff, only Kiamari and her demon. Also, any information I provide is mostly skeptical assumptions. If I have anything wrong please tell me. Do not badger or hound me about it. I would appreciate kind words and respect. There is no need to be rude. That is all….)

Chapter 1: The Destruction

A woman falls to the ground, a small child, about the age of two, sleeping obliviously in her arms. Outside, the screams and shouts of the villagers, telling of the chaos, can be heard. A large, two-tailed, dragon demon was destroying the village in an electric blue and black black, it's midnight blue body, all but it's shining light blue streaks decending from it's silver and violet eyes, was nearly camouflauged by the dark haze rising towards the sky.

A slim, pale skinned man with long, straight black hair stood upon a cliff overlooking the chaos unfolding a smirk on his face. In his arms was the small girl still fast asleep. He looked down to her. "What do you think, young Kiamari? Shall we rid them of their suffering?" He chuckled softly as he looked back towards the village.

A blinding flash of light enveloped the land. Just outside the village, the surrounding land lay miraculously perfectly in tact. The morning dew already gathered upon the grass of a peaceful field where the small child lay, dark blue streaks formed just below her eyes as a single tear trickled down her cheek, although barely concious of any of the event that had occurred. The village itself, however, lay charred and in ruin, not a single soul to be found.

The mysterious voice of a man drifted upon the wind. "You posess much potential, young Kiamari. I eagerly await the strong Shinobi you shall become. I give to you the power and beauty to defeat all of those who dare stand in your way…… Satoshi…." The soft, maniacle chuckle faded into the distant sound of the screams of the once living villagers…………

Kiamari suddenly jolted up from her sleep, her heart pounding fiercely and her small body drenched in sweat, tears in her eyes. She looked out her window, sand and dust streaked the land amongst a howling wind. 'It was that scary dream again…' She sighed hearing the soft footsteps of Ayame. Since she could remember, her and Ayame have been traveling and she had been the one to take care of her. Only recently had they ended up here in Suna. She knew she wasn't her mother but she couldn't remember anything past a year ago so she wasn't sure where she had come from or who her family was. 

Kiamari sighed. 'It must already be dawn' She thought. The door opened and a petite woman with long, wavy, blonde hair in a low tie walked in carrying a breakfast tray and bowed to her. "Good morning, Miss Kiamari." She said with her high pitched, silky voice. "I've brought you your breakfast. You are about five years of age now and our Lord says you will be attending the Ninja Academy here starting today. It sure was nice of the Kazekage to offer us a place to stay in his home." She said sweetly, her white kimon brushing the floor as she went to place the tray upon the nightstand. She bowed again graciously and left the room. She stopped when she crossed paths with the Kazekage and bowed to him. "Thank you ever so much for allowing us to stay here, Lord Kazekage." She said politly. He nodded. "It was the least I could do fo one of the legendary Sannin." He replied.

Kiamari looked towards the breakfast then out towards her window not feeling hungry just yet. She noticed a small, red-headed boy about her age sitting on a bench outside. She shrugged then went to her breakfast suddenly feeling hungry not realising he had looked up just as she went to turn….

(Sorry if it's kind of short. I'll try and make the next chapter longer.)


	2. The Academy

w YAY! I got reviews. Because my chapters or usually pretty short I think I'll start posting the review before each chapter just for the heck of it.

From: XbabydollXExperimentX

Wow that was just amazing!!  
Your have an amazing voice in your writing You make me jelly of your mad  
skills!! Haha well i hope to see your next chapter up soon! Oh Oh Oh!! I think it be kinda ironic if she had a pet lizard dragon!! o.o sorry i never shut up!!  
haha  
Love from new fan Shishi

(Thanks for the add! I feel the love! Hmmm… interesting concept. I'll fiddle around with it and try to make it work.)

From: Akizu Miko

I like it,Continue!

(XD And I shall!)

Chapter 2: The Academy

Ayame walked in and bowed. "Did you enjoy your breakfast, Miss Kiamari?" she asked me kindly. I smiled back sweetly at her and nodded. She took a good look at me standing in front of the mirror and sighed. I wore a black, skin tight, sleevless suit which went to my neck under a white, off the shoulder sweater with sleeves cut off at the elbows and baggy, black, knee length shorts and black and white shoes. With my short hair, I could have almost looked like a boy. "It most certainly isn't a very lady-like outfit. Are sure you don't want to…." She stopped when I turned and gave her a childish glare. "I suppose seeing as how our Lord has such importants plans regarding you and your training, such clothes simply can't be helped," She stated with a frown, then she walked over to comb through my hair, making me sit in her lap.

Throughout it she kept praising what beautiful hair I had. How she loved the simple, natural wave to it and that the short length and fluffy bangs parted to the side compliment my cute heart-shaped face. Most of all, she loved the rich color. Ayame said it was like sweet, liquid dark chocolate with almost the same smooth, silky texture, and how she also loved my natural, red highlights and howthey gave me a lovely glow in the sunlight. I sighed. I was only five so I really wasn't sure what she was going on about half the time, nor did I care, but at least it sounded nice enough.

Ayame gasped and I looked at her quetioningly. "Oh dear! Forgive me, Miss Kiamari! We must hurry or you'll be late!" she said in a panic, grabbing my hand, and leading me downstairs and to the front door. She let go of me then opened the front door and bowed. "Have a great day, Miss Kiamari." I waved to her then hurriedly ran towards the academy. I could feel the gaze of villagers on my back as I ran through the streets. 'Was I really that funny looking?' I wondered to myself.

I was almost to the school when I saw other kids arriving as well. 'Good, I'm not late.' Then I fell to the ground. I didn't even remember seeing anyone. I just remember hitting something hard then falling on my bottom. I rubbed my head as I sat up, peeking out one eye to see what I hit. I opened my eyes in shock. Kneeling down in front of me was a small red-headed boy. His sea-green eyes, containing so much sadness, looked straight at me as if frightened. He almost looked like he wanted to say something but was too scared to. For some reason that single moment seemed to last for hours. It was as if everything had stopped and the world had centered around us. I sware I could get lost forever in those eyes. Something about them almost seemed familiar. It was no wonder I had run into him, though. He looked about my age but was even smaller than I was. I finally dropped my hand from rubbing my head and smiled with a shrug trying to be as cute and innocent as possible. "I'm sorry. I'm kind of new and didn't want to be late. I'm such a cluts." All he could do was look at me in schock. 'Did I do something wrong?' I thought. I stood up and dusted myself off then reached out to help him up. He took my hand nervously as a bell rang. "Oh no! I'm going to be late!" I said running off leaving him behind without so much as a name.

I stood in front of the class as my new sensei introduced me. All of their eyes were completely focused on me. It felt very uncomfortable. I could faintly hear whispers throughout the class. "So THAT'S the new girl?" "What's up with that blue stuff under her eyes?" "Did you see her run into Gaara earlier? She acted like it was nothing! It was so weird!" "Yeah, doesn't she know?!" I sighed. 'It doesn't sound like they like me very much,' I thought taking my seat in the front. I looked up behind me to get a good look at the rest of the class and spotted that boy in the very back, upper corner of the room by himself. I sighed then turned back around to pay attention.

At lunch time, I immediately saw the boy sitting by himself just staring at his food and went to sit with him when three girls from my class stopped me midway to him. "Hey, aren't you that new girl?" The middle one with blonde hair said. I nodded. To her right a girl with black hair, obviously curious, asked, "What's that blue stuff under your eyes?" I merely shrugged. "Ayame said it's a birthmark," I replied simply. They didn't bother to asky who Ayame was. "If you want you can hang out with us," the blonde said looking over her shoulder. "But, you should stay away from…. Him," she said pointing to that red-headed boy who now looked up. I looked at her confused. "Why?" The brunette to the blonde's left looked at me shocked. "Why?! Don't you know who that is!?" she stated. I shook my head no. The blonde spoke up again. "THAT, is Subaku no Gaara. He's a monster." The brunette nodded. "Uhuh, my mom told me about him. He's evil and has a demon inside him." "Yes, and he also killed his own mom!" the black-haired girl said sharing the same scared look as the other two. I looked at them like they were crazy. "A demon? Yeah, right. I bet you're lying," I said somewhat rudely. They looked at me with disgust and horror. "It's the truth!" the blonde yelled. I crossed my arms and looked the other way in defiance. All I remember after that was being pushed and my hair pulled while they yelled things at me. Then it stopped.

An older, blonde girl stood between me and the others. "Why don't you just leave her alone?! You know the rules. No fighting." They mumbled and sat down at a table glaring back at me. "Monster lover," I heard one whisper. I looked up at the blonde as she slightly smiled. "Hey, I'm Temari. Just let 

me know if they give you anymore touble," she said walking off. "See ya later, Kiamari!" I waved bye to her. 'How did she know my name?' I wondered.

I sat down in front of Gaara and smiled. "Hi, I'm Kiamari. Gaara, right?" I asked unconciously giving him the same smile I did earlier. He simply nodded avoiding eye contact. "Sorry again for running into you today. I guess I just wasn't paying attention," I said trying to be friendly. "It's ok," was all I heard him mumble.

After that day I didn't see Gaara for a while. I was doing exceptional in my class, though. Of course I did my best to ignore the snickers and crude comments but I still ended up in plenty of fights, usually defending for Gaara. Of course, Ayame had my head about it but it was just something I couldn't seem to help no matter how much she fussed over the dirt and bruises. Temari and her brother, Kankorou, became practically my body guards, and as a result became somewhat friends, but even they couldn't be around ALL the time. To my surprise, I later learned that they were Gaara's older siblings.

It wasn't until the next week that I saw Gaara again. I noticed he seemed different. His presence was cold and darker, not the usual timidness he carried. He also had the character for love on his forehead. I had thought that was rather strange. 'How did I not notice that before?' I thought. I finally caught up to him at lunch. "Hey Gaara. Are you ok? You weren't here last week and I…" I trailed off. He barely turned to give me a glare and then completely ignored me.

After that, I never saw him again. None of the senseis would tell me anything and when I asked Temari and Kankorou they would simply give me a sympathetic look then say, "Sorry, Kiamari." It irritated me to no end but eventually I had learned to accept that he was gone. There wasn't anything else I COULD do.

The next two years went by in a blur. Other than Temari, I didn't really have anyone I could even consider a friend and still got in plenty of fights. My sensei constantly praised how well I did, though. However, the fact the sensei thought so highly of me most likely didn't improve my reputation. But, as a result I graduated as a Genin at the age of seven. Ayame prepared a celebrational dinner and even Lord Kazekage joined us to congratulate me. I was officially a kunoichi of the Sand Village.

My celebrating was short lived. A month after my graduation, Lord Kazekage approached me after lunch. He told me I had been assigned to be stationed in the Village Hidden in the Leaves in the neighboring Land of Fire and will leave in the morning. I bowed to him respectfully. "I understand, Lord Kazekage. I will begin packing immediately." He nodded and left.

The next morning, Ayame saw me off. Sometimes it bothered me how the only emotion she ever showed me was either complete joy or slight annoyance. I shrugged it off. "Here, I'm giving you my horse. You'll get there much faster on Yue, Miss Kiamari," she said handing me the reins to a beautiful, snow-white mare with a silvery mane and tail. I smiled back at her. "Thank you, Ayame-chan. This is very generous of you." She waved it off and hugged me gently. "Good luck, Miss Kiamari." I mounted the mare then waved bye as I headed out of the village.

(I hope you liked it. Sorry if the chapter's still too short. Two more reviews will get you the next chapter! Muahaha! Sorry, but I have to be a little picky to be SURE people are reading.)


	3. A Glimpse to the Past

_Sorry it's been so long since I've posted a new chapter. " I haven't had much time for writing. For the next chapter or so we will be speeding things along and fast forward into the future… about three years to be exact. The only thing that has been going on is Kiamari has been training under the watchful eye of the Third Hokage. How could someone do that for three years? I don't have the slightest idea. Well, enjoy!_

From: SMOKe13

Stephie! Awesomeness! Very cute! I love it! I can't wait to see those fall  
for one another! If you want help you know where I sit! lol.

(_w Aw, Thanks Shio Shio! You might have a bit of a wait though…. Love takes time. ; D _)

From: XBabydollXExperimentX

ELLO MY REPUPLIC...  
hello?  
NO ONE IS THERE!?  
-cries in corner-  
- Sorry i had some drama sprinkled on my poptart this morning  
XDD

Anyways i really love how this is going  
Im still jelly of your mad skills...:D  
I hope you update soon!! Oh and you can call meh Shishi if ya want  
:3

With love Shishi

_( D I can't say I've heard that before… drama sprinkled on my poptart.. nice. Thanks for the support, Shishi. _)

Chapter 3: Konoha Part One: A Glimpse to the Past

"HIIIYAAAAH!" I yelled, slamming my partner into the ground. Panting, I bowed to him. The Third Hokage clapped his hands gently with a smile. "My, Kiamari, you're certainly talented." My sparring partner got up shakily and bowed to him, then me. The Third Hokage dismissed him so as to speak with me in private. He sighed when the door closed. "You certainly are a formidable opponent, Kiamari." I bowed slightly in gratitude. "Thank you, Lord Hokage." He looked at me straight in the eye. "Come sit." I did as I was told. "How long have you been coming here to train?" he asked. I blinked a little confused. "A little over three years now," I stated. He nodded. "Even when you came here, you were already quite strong Kiamari. I'm afraid there isn't much more you can learn here that isn't too advanced for you at this time. I think it's best if you get out more here in Konoha and interact with the fellow genin of your age here. I'm sure you could learn more from them. Plus, I would like for you to make this place more like your home."

Hearing this, the dark markings down my cheeks began to glow an electric blue in my irritation. I was never very much of a social person, even if it wasn't entirely my fault. He sighed. "That reminds me, I have a few other things to discuss with you, Kiamari," he said bringing out a folder and setting it on the white desk. I looked at it curiously and opened it. The first thing I saw was a small painting of what looked to be a large, midnight blue, two-tailed dragon with dark purple and silver eyes and bright blue streaks under them. I looked up at the Hokage with a confused look. "Kiamari, haven't you ever wondered why you have those blue streaks down your cheeks?" he began. I shrugged. "Ayame said they were a birth mark or something." He chuckled. "Ah, yes, your old 'guardian', Ayame." He shook his head. "I suppose that is one way of putting it." I looked up at him confusedly. "More appropriately, Kiamari, is the two-tailed dragon demon, Jin, is sealed within you," he replied tapping the painting lightly with his finger.

I couldn't believe it. Was he crazy? How could such a thing be possible? "I… I don't understand," I said feebly. The Hokage looked thoughtfully in the distance. "Well, it's a bit of a long story. Many villages have been trying to access the power of the tailed-demons, or bijuu, for countless generations, mostly for war purposes. The only true way they could find to control them was to seal them with an infant, a jinchuuriki." He took out a map from the foler and began pointing to each land. "You see, each land contains one of the nine bijuu. The Land of Fire contains Kyuubi of the nine tails, the Land of Wind has Shukaku, the one-tailed demon demon, and so on… I believe Jin resides here, in the Land of Lightning," he said pointing to a large peninsula, "somewhere near the Village Hidden in the Clouds. Thus, we can only assume you were originally born there."

"How can you know so much about me when I have no memory of this?" I asked. "I believe you do have this memory but it is suppressed as either something you do not wish to remember or a faint dream in the distance such is that of most memories from when we are young. As for how we know, since you have come to this village by request of our allies in the Sand Village, I ordered for a background check as a precaution. However, the Sand could only provide your basic records and the fact you and Ayame had come there quite some time ago. Naturally, investigations have been going on throughout the last three years. This was the best we could come up with," he told me, referring to the folder. I began to sift through the small bits of information then set it back down when I was finished. I looked back up at the Hokage. "It doesn't tell me much." I replied. He nodded. "So… if I'm truly from the Cloud Village, then why was I living in the Sand? Did something happen? I don't understand." He shook his head. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you. It will have to be something you find out for yourself someday." He stood up and led me to the door. "For now, I wouldn't worry about it too much. You should go have some fun round town and meet people and just enjoy your life for now, Kiamari." I nodded as I headed out the door.

A blonde boy burst in and knocked me over just as I was heading out. I got up shakily and glared at him. "I found you old man! I ch…" "HEY!" I yelled interrupting him. He looked back at me. "You don't just run in here and knock people down without apologizing. I should beat you, you little punk!" He stared at me emptily. 'Is he stupid or something?' I thought seeing the blank look on his face. "Who are you?" He asked dumbly. I just shook my head and sighed. The Hokage cleared his throat. "That's enough. Sorry, Naruto. I don't have time for this today. Good day Kiamari." I nodded in response and left. "Baka," I said as I closed the door behind me.

_Once again, two reviews will get you the next chapter! And I'll try to make the chapters longer._


	4. New Beginnings

_Ok I'm so sorry I haven't posted a new chapter in forever. I had major brain blockage on this chapter but lately I've been hurled into a sea of inspiration and I've promised to make longer chapters as well! ^w^ I know some of you are probably wondering what Kiamari looks like. So, instead of posting your reviews I'm posting Kiamari! XD That and the reviews disappeared…__ ;__w__;_

_Name: Kiamari_

_Age: (currently) 12_

_Looks: pale bluish purple eyes. Currently has long wavy hair goes about to mid chest. Is a dark, chocolate color brown with bright red highlights and black lowlights blended in. Very skinny and petite. Fairly developed._

_Extra: contains Jin, the two-tailed dragon demon within her and thus has dark blue streaks down her cheeks._

_I'd love to tell you more but if I gave away anything more than the basics and her physical well, I might give away something later on. ^w^ ENJOY!_

**Chapter 4: New beginnings**

I closed the door behind me and opened the curtains, letting the bright sunlight flood into the small apartment. I sighed sitting on my bed.

"Huh, I've never realized how empty this place was," I said to myself, looking around the small home.

It was an open apartment with one bathroom and a closet for storage. It contained a decent sized kitchen connected with the living room which contained a TV and a fireplace across from a couch. In the corner was my mattress with a few blankets and a pillow. Most of the little furniture I had was already here compliments of my landlady. I looked out the window at the porch just big enough to sit on which was most likely meant for growing flowers on. Despite the overall size, it was still home.

"Hm… maybe I should buy some flowers or something. Maybe a bit of color is what this place needs," I mumbled getting up and heading back out the door.

I scanned the shops as I walked through the village. There were so many unfamiliar faces, but they didn't spare more than a glance towards me. I finally found what I was looking for and the bell rang as I entered the small building. The sweet fragrance inside rushed to greet me.

"Hello," a sweet voice said.

I looked up at the girl behind the counter and smiled. She had long blonde hair pulled back in a pony-tail. Her light blue eyes were fixed upon me.

"Um, hi," I halfway mumbled.

"I'm Ino. I don't think I've seen you around before. What can I do for you?" she replied.

"Kiamari, nice to meet you, Ino," I said with a light smile. "I'm…" I thought for a moment. It would be strange to say I've been there for over three years so I went with a small lie. "I'm somewhat new to this village. I just thought some flowers might look nice in my home."

She nodded and came by my side and pointed out a few flowers to me. "Those are Irises. They would look nice in any home, especially with a couple of those white and yellow baby roses." She picked another flower and put it in my hair. "Just as I thought. The Geranium Rozanne looks very pretty in your hair. It really brings out your eyes, too!" she said with a kind smile. I laughed at that. As if one flower could make a difference in my plain appearance.

For the next hour or so, Ino and I started talking as if we had been friends forever. It was really nice. She told me of all these good places around the village for shopping and food and all the people she knew and went to the academy with, especially some guy named Sasuke and this girl named Sakura who was now her bitter rival.

In the end I ended up buying the flowers and left with a smile. Maybe making friends wasn't so hard after all.

Back home I set the small bouquet on the living room table and the Rozanne in a small vase next to my bed. I don't know what it was but that small bit of color seemed to do the trick. Seeing the flowers there really gave off this certain glow that gave off this warm comforting feeling. It reminded me of my home in Suna. I sighed looking out the window.

"I bet they've all forgotten about me by now," I said as a small frown etched its way onto my face and the memory of that small red-headed boy appeared from the outermost regions of my mind.

I remembered the coldness in his sea green eyes the last time I saw him. It almost seemed as if his heart had closed. A chill ran down my spine and I went to close the window brushing the feeling off as just the crisp autumn wind. Looking one more time at the flowers I left to go explore the village some more. As I walked through the streets, a faint grumbling emerged from my stomach. I sighed realizing I should have eaten before I left.

A bag of chips appeared in front of my face and my eyes immediately became fixated on it. Was I going crazy or was there really a chip bag floating in front of me? The chips moved left and then right, my head following obediently. A floating bag of chips was teasing me. It was official; I had lost my mind from hunger. My stomach growled loudly. Then I heard a snickering from behind and stopped to look at them.

A plump boy was smiling at me with the large chip bag in his hands. His light brown hair was sticking out in two directions from under his headband. A bit of drool escaped my mouth as I looked hungrily at the chips.

"What the hell?!" I shouted at him. "You don't do that to a hungry person!"

"Sorry," he said, a smirk still on his face. "I couldn't resist. You're stomach was so loud. Do you want some?" he asked holding out another bag of chips.

My eyes got big and all I could do was nod as I stared at the other bag. We found a spot under a tree under a tree and sat down before he gave me the chips.

"They were supposed to be for Shikamaru, but you seemed like you could use the food more," he said referring to the loud grumbles my stomach made and how skinny I was.

"Who's Shikamaru?" I asked stuffing my face. The name sounded vaguely familiar. He gave me a strange look and I quickly added that I was somewhat new to Konoha.

"Actually, I'm Shikamaru," I heard a monotone voice say.

I looked up to find this stringy boy with a bored expression on his face and s[iky black hair pulled back. He sat down next to us.

"So who's this Chouji?" he asked with his voice slightly lowered. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm Kiamari," I replied before Chouji could answer his 'I don't know'. "Here, you can have the chips back. I felt sort of bad so I only ate about half of them since they were supposed to be yours," I said handing him the chips.

Shikamaru didn't look away, though, and his analytical stare was beginning to creep me out.

"Are you leaving already?" Chouji asked just as I began to get up.

I shrugged. "Why? Do you want me to stay?" I asked with a sweet smile sitting back down.

"Where are you from?" Shikamaru asked suddenly.

I looked at him surprised by the question. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"You're not from Konoha," he replied dully.

"Well, no. I guess you could say I'm from the Sand Village," I said thoughtfully.

He cocked an eyebrow in confusion and I shook my head. "It's a long story." He seemed to buy that for the time being.

I stood up and stretched. I didn't have all day and I wanted to explore some more. "Thanks for the food, Chouji. I think I'll go explore the village some more," I said trying to excuse myself politely. "Oh, and before I forget, tell Ino thanks again for the flowers," I said before turning to leave. "See you around!" I called back.

"How does she know Ino?" Chouji asked.

Shikamaru shrugged and said, "Who cares."

I sighed as I walked down the streets. 'Maybe I should get a part time job,' I thought to myself. 'But what would I do?' I looked around. I wasn't getting paid much for the small D rank missions but I didn't really know how to do much that could allow me to get a job. I shrugged in defeat. I would just have to make due for now.

As I rounded the next corner I quickly had to readjust myself so I didn't run into another girl.

"Are you ok?" I asked still surprised by the encounter.

Her blank lavender eyes stared at me as her cheeks flushed slightly. Her fingers poked out of the large coat sleeves and fiddled nervously.

"Hello?" I asked unsure if she heard me. She mumbled something about a gift then passed out.

"Oh shit!" I said frantically as I caught her and slowly began to lower her when a dog started barking and began to run towards me growling.

"Oh bloody hell!" I said grabbing the girl and began running away.

A boy with a grey and black hooded jacket began running after us as well. What the hell was going on?

"Stop! You in the black sweater! Get back here!" I heard him shouting. "Kidnapper!"

'Kidnapper? What the hell?' I thought before the dog bit my leg. I came crashing down and was able to turn on my side just enough so the girl didn't hit the ground. The hood to my long black sweater fell over my face as I looked down at my bleeding leg and cursed under my breath.

"Ha ha! We got you now! Good work Akamaru," I heard him say as the dog barked in response. "You must be real sick stealing Hinata while she was sick in bed!"

I looked at the girl. 'Hinata? She's sick? So that's why she passed out,' I thought. Then I noticed under her coat she had pajamas on. The boy was still yelling at me, though.

"That's enough Kiba," I heard a cold voice say and I stood up to get a good look at him. He had lavender eyes as well, but they were filled with a cold hatred. "I'll take it from here," he finished.

I shook my head and bent down to pick Hinata back up despite the pain in my leg.

"Don't you dare touch her you filthy bastard!" Kiba yelled at me.

I stood back up then threw a couple kunai knives pinning him to a wall by his jacket. They both were wide-eyed at the speed of which it happened.

"What do you want with Hinata?" the cold long, dark brown haired boy asked calmly.

I sighed as Hinata began to wake up. I knelt down to help her.

"Are you ok?" I asked again. She nodded.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"Everything's going to be ok, Hinata!" Kiba yelled. "Now get away from her or I'll…"

I jerked my head up at him making the hood fly off my head leaving my hair to whip out in the air freely. My eyes hardened to ice as I glared at him.

"Or you'll do what?! I've already pinned you to that wall!" I yelled completely pissed off.

"Holy shit you're a girl!" he yelled in shock.

"Yes, very perceptive. Now if only you weren't such a dumbass and had your dog attack me, you would have clearly seen that I was trying to help this girl!"

He looked away from me defiantly. The other boy turned and let him down then started walking away.

"We don't have time for this. We need to get Hinata back home," he said unemotionally.

Kiba nodded and followed him. I helped Hinata onto my back and limped after them.

Two servants rushed out of the large home as we approached. They made such a fuss over Hinata and my injury then scolded the boys for both injuring me and making me carry Hinata. I couldn't help but chuckle. It certainly served them right.

After about an hour, Hinata was back in bed, my leg was bandaged up, and I had explained to both the two maids and Hinata's father what had happened and then we were left in Hinata's room to keep her company for a while.

The whole time she had a small angelic smile on her face with a cup of tea in her delicate hands.

Finally I asked, "Why were you roaming the streets, Hinata?"

She looked down for a second, obviously embarrassed, then looked at Kiba, then back at me. "Well, yesterday was Kiba's birthday and I realized I wasn't able to give him his present," she said in a soft voice.

I glanced at Kiba seeing him stiffen and a flash of red, barely noticeable, spread on his cheeks. Hinata handed him the torn package containing a new jacket inside and he mumbled a thank you.

"Sorry I caused so much trouble. I think I may have gotten lost on my way to Kiba's house and I guess I was so confused and dizzy when I ran into you, Kiamari-san, I thought it was Kiba," Hinata said apologetically.

"What! Come on, Hinata! How could you mistake HER for me?!" he whined in protest.

"Well obviously she must have been pretty damn sick to mistake me for some stupid mutt like you," I said mockingly. "And to think, all that effort for YOUR sorry ass!"

"Well it's not my fault she got out of bed to give me a present," he argued back and I slugged him upside the head.

"OW! What the hell was that for?!" he yelled.

"For being a dumbass!" I yelled back.

The door closed and we stopped arguing to see Hinata look sadly down at her cup of tea.

"What's wrong Hinata?" I asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. I guess Neji just doesn't like me very much is all," she stated.

I looked confusedly at her, but gave her a hug, then followed in pursuit after him.

"NEJI! Wait!" I yelled catching up to him. "Is there something wrong between you and Hinata?" I asked.

"It doesn't concern you," he replied coldly.

"I know but…"

"But what?" he said interrupting me. "You are an outsider. You've barely met Hinata and know nothing of the Hyuga clan's laws and traditions or of the lives of many here in Konoha for that matter! You have no business with us. We are not your friends from the sand," he said bitterly.

His harsh words pierced through my being but I kept walking with him my head bent. "Actually, I have no friends back home. Maybe it's not my place, but I was just trying to help. I thought that maybe I could be friends with people here. But maybe I'm more like the ugly specks of dirt traveling on the wind. Maybe I don't belong anywhere…" I said in a low voice. "I'm sorry you think I'm such a bother."

I ran off in front of him, tears falling behind me, sparkling in the sun and a few hitting him. Neji realized he actually hurt me but made no attempt to run after me or apologize.

I dashed into the trees, but was stopped short when I ran into someone and fell. 'Oh great, now what?' I muttered looking up at a bushy browed black haired boy in green spandex.

He smiled at me. "I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" He said rather boldly and helped me up. I nodded and noticed a brunette with buns in her hair staring at me behind him. "I'm Lee and this is Tenten."

I smiled and wiped my eyes. "Um, I'm Kiamari. Nice to meet you." Then Neji walked into the clearing and I turned around and glared at him. "What the hell do you want?" I said with malice in my tone. He glared at me.

"I came here to train with my team. Now are you going to run off and cry again or are you going to apologize?" he asked obnoxiously.

This pissed me off and my eyes locked on him with an icy stare. I slowly walked forward with my fists clenched and punched him square in the face knocking him into a nearby tree. Tenten rushed to his side immediately and Lee looked on stunned. "Fuck you! I was only trying to help and you criticize ME and tell ME to leave then you have the ORDASITY to come and tell ME to apologize?! You're lucky I don't punch you harder!"

Tenten glared at me. "What's the matter with you?! I can't believe you punched him THAT hard! You knocked him out! If you punched him harder you could have killed him!" she snapped taking out a scroll.

"Don't you think you're being a little dramatic, Tenten?" Lee asked nervously.

"Shut up, Lee," she said but he got between us anyways hoping to keep us apart. As we charged at each other, two puffs of smoke appeared and both of us were being held back.

"Good work, Lee," a spitting image of him said from behind Tenten. "Go check on Neji. Me and Kakashi will take it from here," he said with a gleaming grin.

"Quite a fuss over here, Gai," a smooth voice said from behind me. "I'll take care of this one." Then we suddenly appeared in a large field. Only then was I let go. I sighed irritably.

"So much for making friends, ay Kiamari? But let's get straight to the point. While you are here in Konoha, you'll be part of team 7. I'm Kakashi. Ah, here come your new teammates now," Kakashi said.

Approaching the field was the same annoying blonde from earlier that day, a girl with long pink hair whom I could only assume to be Sakura, and a boy with black spiky hair who I guessed was Ino's beloved Sasuke. I sighed. 'Great, this should be loads of fun,' I thought sarcastically crossing my arms. Sasuke hadn't said a word but the other two, who were bickering the whole time, immediately stopped when they noticed me.

"This is Sasuke, Sakura, and… Naruto," Kakashi said pointing to each in turn. "Everyone, this is Kiamari. She'll be joining our team from now on."

I tried to give a warm smile but I doubt it made it past a corner of my mouth. Sakura was the first to try and make contact.

"Hi, Kiamari, how much longer will you be staying here in Konoha?" she asked not realizing how offensive her question sounded.

"I don't really know. I was pretty much dropped off here after I became a genin. I figure my village has forgotten about me," I replied.

Sasuke kept glaring at me and it was beginning to creep me out. 'Why was everyone staring at me today?' I thought. 'It wasn't as if I were all that pretty or anything. Was it my markings?'

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Anyways, I think I'll have you all spar today. Naruto and Sasuke you two are up. Sakura, I want you to be a referee."

I looked up at Kakashi sensei curiously. "Why aren't I sparring?" I asked.

"I need to know about some of your abilities, Kiamari," he replied getting up. "For example, your chakra control. Are you able to at least climb the tree?"

I smirked. "Well, of course I can climb a tree. Isn't that basic for any ninja?" I asked.

He nodded. "Please, demonstrate."

I shrugged and carefully walked up a nearby tree then jumped back down. "There, I climbed the tree."

He shook his head. "Kiamari, I want to work with you on something tomorrow," he said.

I shrugged. "Sure. Kakashi-sensei, what all has this team done, exactly? You know, before I got here," I asked uncertainly.

He nodded. "Well, other than the usual minor missions they had to go to the Land of Waves not too long ago and faced a pretty tough opponent. It seems that there's often a mishap in missions with this team. Anyways, it's nothing you should worry about. For now, we will just set our sights on the chunin exams," he said with a light smile.

I decided not to carry on with the subject. "So, what can you tell me about them?" I asked changing the subject.

"Hm, Naruto never really had much of anyone around, I suppose you could say. He was pretty much shunned by the village for most his life and chooses to act carefree trying to get others to like him and seems to be quite fond of Sakura.

"Sakura is your typical girl at her age and seems to be fond of Sasuke like many others. She's actually very intelligent when she tries to be, though.

"Sasuke, well, unlike Naruto he had a family but overnight it seems his brother wiped out the entire Uchiha clan."

I sighed. "A very love-hate triangle you've accumulated, Kakashi-sensei," I said pointing to them. "Naruto hates Sasuke but likes Sakura. Sakura finds Naruto annoying and likes Sasuke who intern finds both her and Naruto annoying. Does he know how to show emotion or is just totally bitter?" I asked with a slight sarcastic tone.

Kakashi chuckled. "I suppose you could say that. It's not entirely his fault, though."

I shrugged. "Yes, I suppose I might be just as bitter if I had my brother destroy my family and have a bunch of fan-girls after me, too."

Not long after I was allowed to spar with Sakura, although it wasn't much of a fight. Kakashi must have been as bored as I was and finally declared me the winner.

Walking home I noticed Sasuke was behind me. "A particular reason you've been behind me the whole time Sasuke?" I asked tiredly and stopped to look at him but he said nothing.

I sighed. "Really, do you ever talk or do you just complain under your breath all day?" He just walked on ahead of me. "Ok, I give up. What's wrong?" I asked.

He glared at me with his black eyes. "Nothing is wrong. I'm just walking home," he replied coldly.

I sighed. "Fine. Honestly, have you always been this moody or only since your family was killed?" I asked irritated.

I must have hit a nerve because he instantly slammed me into a wall, his hand around my neck. "Don't you dare talk about my family. You don't know a damned thing," he said glaring down at me then roughly let go. I could only shake my head.

"You know, lingering on the past isn't healthy," I replied humbly then walked past to the gate of my apartment building. "Well, goodnight, Sasuke." I mumbled before going in.

The next day I met with Kakashi in the field just as he asked.

"How much chakra control do you actually know, Kiamari?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I don't really know. I can do basics like walking on walls and water and focus it for jutsu," I stated. "When I was in Suna I didn't have much else to do other than train and chakra control gave me something to focus on."

He nodded. "I see. As your teacher, I'm supposed to help you get stronger by focusing both your strengths and weaknesses. From what I've gathered, your strength is your speed and agility that comes from your short stature and your ability to control your immense amount of chakra effectively. However, you're terribly small and fragile and I've noticed you've had to control your chakra carefully otherwise you might damage something, am I correct?" I nodded.

"Well, my guess is you can fix that by infusing chakra with your body especially your skin cells. This technique is called the Dragon's Skin," he explained.

I grinned. "Cool. I'll have it done by the end of the week!" I said cheerfully and got to work.

Each day we tested my new technique by sparring. If Kakashi could cut my skin, then I'd have to work harder. By the end of the week I had actually perfected it. Continuously he had hit me but failed to cut my skin. I couldn't help but grin.

I gave a fake yawn. "Kakashi-sensei, are you really trying to hurt me or are you toying with me?" I asked when he had stopped to catch his breath.

"Believe it or not, Kiamari, I actually am. You've held up much better than I would have expected especially after such a short period of time. You're not even as tired as you were when you first started," he replied. "I think it's safe to say you've pretty much mastered this technique."

"Kakashi-sensei, how did you come up with the idea of the Dragon's Skin?" I asked sitting down on the grass and taking a drink of water.

He smirked and said, "Hm, I believe it's a technique used by the first Raikage of the Cloud Village. However, the technique takes up large amounts of chakra and skilled chakra control to accomplish so no one else has ever been able to use the technique."He stood up and dusted himself off. "Well, I should get going. I have a few things to take care of and I doubt you want to stay here all day." With that he vanished in a puff of smoke.

I coughed. 'What was with all the smoke?' I thought and sighed getting up and heading back home. Just as I started off I heard a loud clang and felt a small tap on my head and turned around to see two kunai knives fall to the ground at my feet. I looked up confused to see Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto walking towards me. Naruto looked excited while pointing at me frantically, Sasuke looked annoyed, and Sakura simply looked just as confused as I was.

"See! I told you she's been secretly training with Kakashi-sensei! You can't hurt her now! He said it was called the… the…"

I crossed my arms. "It's called the Dragon's Skin, baka. What about it?" I said irritably. 'Did they seriously just throw kunai at me?' I picked up the knives and held them out. Naruto quickly grabbed them and put them away.

I shook my head. "What do you want, anyways? I seriously doubt you just happened to be around and decided to throw your kunai at me for the hell of it."

Naruto scratched the side of his head dumbly and Sakura looked down at the ground a little embarrassed by the incident. They obviously didn't think this through. Sasuke on the other hand had been staring at me since they arrived.

"I swear, Sasuke, if you keep glaring at me like that, I'm going to hurt you. Oh, don't look at me like that Sakura. It's not like I would do any real damage to him," I said to her horrified expression. "Honestly…"

"Fine, then fight me," I heard Sasuke say.

"Um, no." I replied. "I am tired and have had a long week of training and quite frankly I can only hold this technique for so long," I said heaving a small bag over my shoulder. "I'm going home and getting a good night's sleep. I'm seriously not in the mood because I have enough to deal with and fighting you right now isn't going to pay the bills," I said walking off then stopped. "Oh yes, I almost forgot. Sakura, tell Ino I said hi and I'm looking forward to her party next Friday night." I added just to get under her skin and waved behind me as I turned. "Have fun int the Sasuke Fan Club!" I said laughing which of course pissed her off. I couldn't help myself, she made it so easy. At least Ino wasn't totally obsessive and actually had a life outside of gawking over Sasuke. The whole thought of it was simply hilarious. I couldn't tell what they saw in him.

"What do you think she meant by fighting Sasuke won't pay the bills?" Naruto asked. Sakura shrugged.

I opened the door to find a pile of mail on the floor. I picked them up and sorted through them. There was a reminder from Ino about the party, an invite to lunch from Chouji and a couple bill notices from my landlady of my overdue payment. I sighed. "What the hell am I going to do? The stupid old hag won't get off my back. At this rate I'll be lucky if she doesn't kick me out tomorrow," I said to myself tossing the mail onto the counter.

Two days later…

A plump woman with frizzy hair tied messily back walks into the room and begins kicking my mattress. "Hey! Wake up, kid! Wake up!" I hear her rough voice gripe. A shiver runs down my spine. Her voice was a combination of nails on a chalkboard and metal scraps in a blender. "It's already 11! Are you gonna sleep all day?"

I groaned. "Alright, alright, what do you want?" I asked moodily from being woken up.

She laughed and I cringed from the voice. "What do I want? I want my money you lazy freeloader!" she snapped.

I groaned again. "Damn it all," I mumbled. "I don't have your stupid money."

She clicked her tongue and threw my bag at my head. "Fine, I want you out by 4 then," she said then began to gripe under her breath as she left.

I sat up lazily. "Well, shit," I mumbled and looked around the small home. "It's a good thing I don't have much stuff, I guess." I went up and grabbed a piece of paper and smiled as I called the number. "Hey, Chouji? That free lunch is still good right?" I said jokingly. "Cool, see you in a bit… What? Oh, sure, Shikamaru and Ino can come, too… Ok, bye." I yawned as I hung up the phone and began shoving my clothes and other necessities into my bag and immediately headed out the door, locking it and placing the key under the mat.

_Well, I hope you liked it. See? I told you the chapters would be longer! XD And the next one is a bit longer than this one! The usual two reviews will get you the next chapter! _


	5. A Place to Stay

_**Ok, as my Christmas gift to my readers, I will post up three chapters without any reviews. After that the story will, unfortunately, have to be put on hold for lack of reviews. Well, Enjoy!**_

Ch. 5: A Place to Stay

I sighed as I walked down the streets, my bag slung over my shoulder. I officially had nowhere to go and it wasn't as if I could just rudely ask Ino or somebody to stay with them.

"Ah, crap! What the hell am I going to do?" I complained loudly. I groaned tiredly and plopped into the stool of a nearby ramen shop real quick to rest for a second.

"Here you go," said a cheerful old man as I heard the clunk of a bowl hit the counter.

"All right!" I heard an oh too cheerful and familiar voice yell. "Thanks, Old Man!"

I groaned again. Great, Naruto was here. That's just what I needed.

"What can I get you, miss?" the old man asked.

I shook my head and smiled politely up at him. "No thanks, I was just resting for a bit," I said as I started to get up.

"You're not going to eat, Kiamari-chan?" Naruto asked in his usual dumb way. I merely shook my head. "Oh, but you have to! Ichiruka's ramen is the best!"

I shrugged. "I'd love to, but I'm broke. Besides, I'm meeting Chouji for barbeque," I said with a small chuckle. "Maybe some other time, I finished with a wink and headed off.

……………………………..

"KIAMARI-CHAN!" I heard being shout as I walked in. I smiled lightly and waved at Chouji and the gang.

"Hey guys," I said sliding in next to Ino and across from Shikamaru and Chouji. "Mmm, I see you guys already started," I said spotting the meat. "I'm starved!" I began eating rapidly hardly caring to chew and realized they started to stare at me. "What?" I asked swallowing a bite.

Ino laughed. "It's just that you eat as much as Chouji!" she exclaimed.

I shrugged. "So? Is that a bad thing?" I asked a little confused.

"Apparently not," she stated referring to my thin body. "You're skin and bone! Where do you put it all?"

"Uh… to my chakra?" I said somewhat jokingly.

She smiled a devious smile. "Hey, Shikamaru, who do you think would win in an eating contest, Chouji or Kia-chan?"

"Huh?!" I said a little surprised.

"Chouji, for sure," he replied.

"Wait, what?!" I asked unsure where this was going/

"Oh, I bet Kiamari-chan could so take him," Ino wagered.

"Is that so? Fine, I'll take your bet. Loser pays for the meal," Shikamaru replied with a smirk. Next thing I knew, three large stacks of meat were placed in front of me and Chouji.

"Whoever eats the most food in three minutes wins! And… GO!" Ino yelled.

I sighed knowing there was no way out of this, and I couldn't let all that food go to waste. The match didn't last more than a minute and a half, though.

Ino lifted me up by the arm. "WINNER!" she declared happily. "Shika pays the bill!"

"What a drag," he complained getting out his money.

It was all a blur. Did I really win? I looked over at Chouji who was sitting back comfortably full. Not even half a plate remained. He gave me a half-hearted smile. Did I really win, or did he let me? I was confused by the whole incident.

……….

I waved goodbye and gave Ino a hug as we left the restaurant and continued my wandering around town. Even as dusk approached, I was still full from lunch and I sighed happily knowing I wouldn't have to bother with dinner.

At some point, I ended up sitting on a roof and watched the sunset comfortably on a blanket and my bag behind me as a make-shift pillow. I figured it would be better to sleep on a roof than a tree or bench. It probably would save me some embarrassment, too. I looked sadly out at the darkening sky alone with my thoughts. As more and more stars began to come out, I suddenly heard footsteps behind me.

"You're in my spot," the dark voice said.

I slowly stood up to look at Sasuke, his figure a dark outline as night slowly fell, and the blanket fell loosely from my shoulder to my waist. "Sorry, I guess I just picked a random spot. I suppose I could go to a tree or a bench," I said tiredly beginning to reach for my bag to leave.

He came over and knelt in front of me. "You're crying," he stated bluntly. "Why?"

I touched my cheek unaware I was crying and watched a tear glimmer in the moonlight as it fell from my finger to my knee. "I suppose I was," I stated dumbly. "Hm… I guess there are a number of things that could be the reason why," I said quietly looking up at the night sky.

He sighed. "If you really need a place to stay, you can stay with me tonight," he stated turning his head to avoid eye contact.

I gave a half smile. "No offense, but you don't seem like the type who would just randomly offer something like that, Sasuke."

He shrugged. "You could say that," he said giving a barely noticeable smirk and stood up with his hand outstretched to help me up.

He stepped down onto a lower roof ledge and ducked through a large window. Sasuke pointed to the bed and bathroom. "You can sleep here if you want and you can clean up in there," he said before heading out the bedroom door.

I followed him to the doorway. "But, where will you sleep?" I asked and he pointed to the couch. "Oh… Sasuke?" I started before turning back. He looked up at me. "Um, thanks," I said uncomfortably before closing the door to the bathroom.

About ten minutes later I stepped from the steamy bathroom, a towel wrapped around my body, and slowly walked to the small kitchen for a drink of water. The cool liquid was welcoming to my throat and I could feel the cold travel throughout my body sending a shiver up my spine.

My long, dark, wet hair glistened in the moonlight creeping from the partially opened kitchen window. A cool breeze floated into the room and wrapped around my damp bare skin in a cold embrace. It was a little comforting just standing there in the darkness. I set the empty glass down with a satisfied sigh and turned to go change. However, I collided with something hard and fell down. I let out a short high pitched squeal for a brief second surprised. I heard a grunt as I hit the ground. "What the hell are you doing, Kiamari?" I heard Sasuke say breathlessly. I could barely make him out in the moonlight.

I gave a light smirk. "Well, I believe I was getting a drink of water," I said in a coy tone.

"You idiot. Now can you get off me?" He grunted.

"You're the one who was right behind me," I said annoyed as I got up. While getting up, he must have lost his balance and fell on me, and down we went again. I sighed. "Smooth. I don't suppose you planned that?" I asked smirking.

"Oh shut up. Besides, I thought you were going to take a shower or something," he said moodily.

I chuckled and tugged the towel off his head. "I did."

He looked down and realized the embarrassing situation we were in. My arms were caught above my head and my towel had slipped off amidst the collision.

"Damn it all," he cursed as he quickly got off of me.

I chuckled and quickly clutched my towel over my chest for a brief cover up as I stood up. "You dumbass." I turned halfway towards him and began fixing my towel. "You're not a perve are you Sasuke?" I said teasingly.

He crossed his arms but quickly turned his head away blushing.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, what's this? Is the great Uchiha… blushing?" I mocked.

"Oh shut up you dumbass girl! You're such a pain! Nothing but an arrogant fool!" he yelled.

"Yes, yes, and you're an egotistical emotionless bastard!" I snapped back. "Now, if you really hate me that much because I won't give you a fight, why did you offer for me to stay?"

In anger, he pinned me to the wall and held a kunai to my throat while his other hand slammed by my head. "I should kill you right now," he said darkly.

"Ha! I'd like to see you try. You won't kill me," I said daringly.

He pushed harder and blood began to trickle down my neck and onto my black choker. The gem reacted along with my markings, glowing a faint blue glow. "I can and I will. Give me one reason why I wouldn't."

I smirked. "Because I'm not like the other girls. Face it, I'm one of the few girls who doesn't drool and chase after you and probably the only girl who could take you on because I know you're not nearly as cool or strong as you seem to think you are. You're so full of shit. Besides, I know you don't actually hate me because of these reasons and you wouldn't have even let me stay here if you truly hated me as much as you pretend to," I replied cockily my eyes locked with his in a glare of defiance.

"Heh, you're just as stupid as Naruto," he said releasing me harshly and turning away towards the couch. "You know nothing of me."

I gave a soft smile and my eyes saddened. "I know that you're alone. You don't have to suffer by yourself you know," I replied softly and closed the bedroom door behind me.

He looked up slightly a little surprised and saw a glimmer just before the door closed. 'Was she crying again?' He shook his head. 'Such an odd girl,' he thought with a smirk.

I sighed as I threw something on for bed; namely, skimpy spandex shorts and a baggy shirt that hung loosely on my shoulders. I slowly crawled into the bed and coughed for a moment as his thick smell met my nose strongly. 'He must have some terrible nightmares to sweat this much to leave such a strong scent,' I thought numbly. I scooted close to the wall on the other side of the bed where his scent wasn't so strong and curled up in the blankets, falling asleep soon after. However, the same old nightmares of destruction came back to me and I tossed and turned all night.

Sasuke groaned and came into the room hearing my restless movements. He sighed. 'Not very conservative when she sleeps, is she?' he thought to himself at the sight of me. I was lying on my side, my back facing him. My legs were curled up towards my stomach and intertwined in the blanket. My upper leg was bare and my shirt had risen up revealing most of my backside as well. He came closer. Tears ran down my face and I clutched the blanket close to me as I slept, my body shaking. He shook his head and gently ran his warm hand down my freezing arm, feeling the cold sweat. He whispered something then, with a yawn, headed back to the couch.

…………….

I woke up suddenly and immediately shot up to a sitting position, panting as sweat trickled down my nose. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and my hands were shaking. I shivered as I looked at the clock and groaned.

"I can't believe it's only seven thirty," I complained and reluctantly got out of bed. "Gah, I hate getting up early," I said moodily pushing back last night's nightmare as if it never happened.

I glanced at the couch on my way to the kitchen to see Sasuke passed out. "huh, I guess he always seemed like the early-bird type," I mumbled to myself. My stomach growled furiously. "Oh hush it!" I hissed back at it. "I'll eat soon enough."

I couldn't help but smile in utter delight at all the food I found and got to work on breakfast humming softly to myself. About an hour later a grumpy Sasuke walked in and a pancake landed on his head. He groaned as he took it off.

"Oops, sorry about that," I said finishing setting the table full of food. "I guess it got away from me."

"What are you doing?" he asked moodily.

"I made breakfast!" I said rather pleased at the setup. "We have pancakes, bacon, hash browns, eggs, some sausage dumplings, and rice balls!" I said delightfully. He gave me a confused look. "I bought a cook book from a traveling sales-man one day and it had all this stuff in it. Sorry if it's not what you're used to. I promise it's good."

"Is all this really necessary?" he asked sitting down. "It looks more like a buffet than breakfast."

"Yes, it's entirely necessary, and if you're going to complain you don't have to eat," I stated sitting down.

"As if you could eat all of this yourself," he remarked.

"Oh, is that a challenge?" I asked with a smirk.

"Ah, I see now. This must be your way of apologizing for last night," he said beginning to fill his plate.

"Why do guys always want an apology when they were the ones being stupid? I honestly don't get it at all," I said stuffing a rice ball into my mouth. When I swallowed I looked down. "Actually, if anything, it's more my way of saying thank you."

He shrugged. "Don't mention it," he said a little uncomfortably.

I smiled then began to stuff myself happily. After a while I noticed Sasuke had stopped eating and was staring at me. I sighed. "What?" I asked and began to look about me. "Is it my pajamas? Do I have a cowlick? Oh wait, is the food bad?" I said listing things that might be wrong.

"Hm, wow, I was actually wrong. Not only are you as stupid as Naruto, but you eat like him, too. You two must be related," he finished mockingly.

"Oh shut up you damned Uchiha," I snapped as I finished eating. "Now finish your breakfast!" I said getting up.

"Yes mother dearest," he replied with a snicker and I kicked him lightly in head before going into the bedroom. I quickly stripped down and began to rummage through my bag for something to wear. Then I heard the door open and close and quickly looked up.

Sasuke walked in with his head down muttering under his breath. As he began to look up a pillow hit him square in the face. He snatched the pillow. "What the hell…" he started to yell but trailed off.

I stood there glaring at him, my face bright red, clutching the blanket in front of my body. However, it didn't do a very good job of hiding my lacy black underwear. "Don't just stand there you damned Uchiha! Get the fuck out!" I yelled throwing another pillow at him and he quickly bolted out his face bright red.

I quickly pulled on black cargo capris and a red tank top with black stripes. I slung my bag over my shoulder and opened the door. "It's free now," I said to a slightly nervous Sasuke.

I plopped on the couch thinking of what I was going to do next. A few minutes later Sasuke had come out fully changed. I gave him a small smile.

"You haven't left yet?" he asked in his usual gloomy voice.

I got up and sighed. "Well, excuse me. I'm leaving right now. Don't worry I won't stay and cause you anymore trouble," I replied a little moodily and headed towards the door. I sighed and stopped in the doorway. "Sasuke, try not to dwell on the past." I said before leaving.

……………

I walked up a hill and collapsed into the grass at the top, flinging my bag to the side. "BOOOOOO!" I yelled. "I don't know what I'm going to do!" I complained staring up at the clouds. "Ugh, quite frankly I couldn't stand another minute in that damned Uchiha's home. He pisses me off," I mumbled.

"What a drag. Hey, you're in my spot," said a bored voice.

I groaned and sat up. "Now what the hell do you want you damned…" I trailed off. "Shikamaru? What the hell?" I asked confused.

He sighed. "Troublesome woman, you're in my cloud watching spot," he griped.

I scooted over and patted the ground. "There, happy? You have your spot back," I groaned and laid back down.

He sighed and laid down next me. "Someone's got you pissed today. So what are you doing out here so early?" he asked pretending to be interested.

"What do you care? Besides, I could ask you the same thing," I replied.

"Yes, but I asked you first," he stated.

I sighed. "I don't remember."

"Bullshit, I don't believe that for a second," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't think it really matters."

He sighed. "Troublesome woman."

"So, where's Chouji?" I asked.

Shikamaru shrugged. "He's most likely eating breakfast right now."

"Mm, breakfast," I said happily.

"Have you not eaten yet today?" he asked.

I laughed. "Actually, I ate not too long ago."

He sighed. "Good God! Seriously, where do you put it all?" he asked amazed.

I laughed. "Well, I suppose you could say I'm eating for two." Shikamaru sat up on his elbow and cocked and eyebrow. "Never mind," I said looking up at my watch. "Ah, crap. I'm going to be late for training," I said getting up. "Wait, don't you have to go train?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Meh, I don't feel like it."

I shook my head. "Lazy ass. Tell Chouji I said hi when you finally get up," I said and as I turned to leave I tripped and rolled down the hill. "Gah! Son of a bitch!" I yelled reaching for my foot.

Shikamaru ran down to me and sighed. "Troublesome woman. Looks like you've gone and broken your ankle."

"Oh shut up," I said trying to stand but immediately fell back down and cursed under my breath. Shikamaru sighed and picked me up bridal style. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" I yelled.

"I'm taking you to the hospital you idiot," he snapped.

"Oh, hell no! I have to go train!" I yelled.

"Nope, you're going to the hospital," he stated. "You can't even stand let alone train."

"Damn it all! Put me down now!" I said hitting his shoulder.

"Troublesome woman, you are going to the hospital and that's final," he said sternly. There was obviously no way around this.

…………………

The doctor clicked his tongue. "Your x-rays are pretty bad, miss. That must have been quite a fall. I'm afraid you'll be stuck here for at least a week," he said before leaving the room.

I crossed my arms and groaned. "Great, I'm stuck in the quack house. Ah, bloody hell!" I complained collapsing into the hospital bed.

…………………

Shikamaru approached Kakashi and began to speak with him. Kakashi gave a small chuckle then nodded before dismissing him. "Ah, I see. Thank you, Shikamaru."

Sasuke and Sakura looked somewhat confused while Naruto looked totally dumbfounded and clueless as always. Kakashi cleared his throat. "Sorry about that. It would seem Kiamari is in the hospital. Apparently she broke something," Kakashi stated with a shrug. "I suppose practice will be cancelled for today so we may pay her our respects."

Sakura sighed. "Kakashi-sensei, you don't have to make it sound like she's dying." Sasuke got up without a word and Naruto followed. "W…wait for me, Sasuke!" Sakura called running after.

Ino and Chouji saw them walk passed from inside the flower shop and quickly opened the door. "Hey, Sasuke! Where are you going?" Ino asked, receiving a glare from Sakura.

Naruto chimed in. "Kiamari-chan's in the hospital so we're going over to see her," he said a little too cheerfully.

Ino and Chouji looked surprised. "Oh, really? Hold on for a second!" Ino said rushing into the shop then returning with a small bouquet of tulips and baby white roses then closed the shop. "Ok, I'm ready."

I groaned as the door opened and my team-mates walked in. "Ah, great," I mumbled. Then Ino and Chouji walked in and rushed over pushing passed Sasuke and Naruto. Ino set down the bouquet on the nightstand and Chouji handed me a box of strawberry pockey. "Oh, yay! Pockey!" I squealed happily. "You're the best, Chouji!" He bent down so I could give him a hug. "Oh, and thanks for the flowers, Ino, they're gorgeous," I said giving her a hug, too.

I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my foot and looked around Ino to find Naruto poking my foot hanging in the air. "What the hell?! Don't poke my foot!" I yelled throwing a pillow at him and he quickly backed away. Sakura gave a short chuckle and Sasuke sighed. I seemed to be throwing pillows a lot today.

I heard the door open and close again and in walked Hinata. "Hi, Kiamari-chan, are you feeling ok?" she asked shyly.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. The doctor has me on a bunch of pain meds, though." Then I saw Kiba walk in behind Hinata and instinctively threw a pillow at his face, too. Hinata jumped in surprise. "What the hell are you doing here, dog-boy!?" I yelled.

"What the hell was that for?!" he yelled back.

Akamaru jumped onto the bed and cuddled next to me. "Aw, hey Akamaru," I said happily petting him. Kiba gritted his teeth and sat down by the window. Another boy walked in that I hadn't noticed. "Who are you?" I asked.

"Oh, Kiamari-chan, this is Shino-kun. He's on our team," Hinata hurriedly explained before I could attack him.

"Well, nice to meet ya, Shino. Did you get me a present, too?" I asked cutely joking. He looked confused so I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm just kidding. You must be the guy with the bugs," I stated matter of factly and too drugged up to care how insulting I may have been. He merely nodded. "Cool, bugs are awesome. I don't suppose you could give the mutt a bad case of the flees, could you?" I asked pointing a thumb at Kiba.

He scratched the side of his head nervously. "Uh, sorry, but I can't," he stated.

I shrugged. "Oh well. Now don't everyone just stand there in the doorway, come on in! Make yourselves comfy!" I said a little obnoxiously.

The door opened again. "Oh, who now? I don't think I know anyone else. Ah shit," I said seeing Neji, Tenten, and Lee walk in. 'What the hell were they doing here?' I thought.

"Hey, Neji! So, when did you get out of the quack house?" I asked a little nervously.

"A few days ago, actually," he said bitterly. Tenten glared at me.

I scratched my head. "Yeah, sorry for knocking you out like that. I hope I didn't bash your skull in or anything. But you know, you have to admit you did sort of deserved it," I pointed out and everyone looked at me with a shocked and confused expression.

"Sorry? That's all you can say is sorry? Why you little…" Tenten yelled but Neji put his hand up to stop her.

My smile faded. "Yes, actually, that is all I can say. Nothing's going to change what happened and I'm certainly not going to get down and beg for forgiveness," I stated putting a stick of pockey in my mouth.

Tenten went to say something more but Neji stopped her again. "That's enough, Tenten. It's fine, she was right. I was out of line," Neji said coldly. "I apologize as well."

I shrugged. "Sure, whatever, apology accepted. Now, someone give me back my pillows! My head hurts and I need something as I weapon," I yelled obnoxiously. Lee handed me the pillows and I easily got comfortable. "Thank you, Lee. Here, have a cookie," I said breaking off a piece of my pockey.

I yawned. "You guys can do whatever. The drugs are kicking in so I'm most likely going to take a nap so there's no reason to stay here. But, just in case, I leave Ino and Chouji in charge to make sure Tenten doesn't kill me and nobody else jacks with my bum leg, Naruto," I said a little darkly.

After being sure I was asleep by my constant mumbling, Kiba and Naruto snickered and got up towards my bed.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked annoyed.

Naruto snickered. "Oh, nothing, Sakura-chan."

Sasuke sighed. "Idiot. Such a loser."

Naruto came up to the side of the bed where my foot hung and reached out to poke at it some more feeling safe against my temper. Kiba came up right beside Naruto.

"Damn it, Naruto! Don't you dare!" I yelled into my pillow and my good foot kicked Kiba knocking him into the wall. Feeling my foot hit something I bolted upright wide awake and immediately grabbed a pillow for attack yelling, "DIE!" A puff of smoke appeared and through it came a blonde girl.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled and hit him on the head causing him to poof back.

Everyone looked at me silently afraid of how I was going to react. I looked around, seeing my surroundings. Kiba was awkwardly slumped against the wall and Naruto and Sakura were glaring at each other. Needless to say it took a few moments for it to sink in. I couldn't help but bust out laughing and slump back into my pillow.

"Oh my God!" I said laughing my ass off. "You guys are such idiots! Seriously, what the hell was that?!" I couldn't control myself. All I could do was point and squeeze my sides as I laughed hysterically.

Naruto looked please seeing he wasn't in trouble. "Actually, it's my sexy no jutsu!" he replied.

I finally controlled my laughter then quickly produced a shadow clone. "Sexy no jutsu, huh? Hm, now let's see…" I looked over at Sasuke and Sakura. "Oh I've got a good one." I pointed at the clone. "Ok, do it!" I demanded.

The shadow clone smirked. "Impersonation manly no jutsu!" Through a puff of smoke appeared an older version of Sasuke without a shirt right next to Sakura and put an arm around her shoulder. "Hey, Sakura-chan," it said with a wink.

Ino turned bright red as did Sakura who nearly fainted. Sasuke turned a little red and looked away. "Stupid girl," he muttered.

The shadow clone poofed away and I burst out laughing. "Ah, that was priceless," I said getting a hold of myself. "You should have seen your faces."

"Great, another Naruto. Nice to know they've got you high on the meds," Shikamaru sighed coming in from his spot in the doorway.

"Hey, Shika-kun! 'Bout time you showed up," I said grabbing another stick of pockey.

He groaned. "Troublesome woman," he muttered.

"Troublesome man!" I replied throwing a pillow at him. "You're the one who put me in the quack house. You have no right to complain. Now, hand me that little phone thingy over there. I'm hungry and I want some lunch," I ordered. He groaned lazily but handed me the phone anyways.

I looked at the hospital menu and spoke into the phone. "Yes, I want the chicken dumplings, the ramen, oh, some rice balls, um, another bowl of ramen, mm, and some strawberry frozen yogurt," I said happily. "Thank you much!" I tossed the phone and it landed nicely on the receiver.

"So, what are you all still doing here, anyways? You have to have something better to do than entertain me in this nut-job hotel," I said boredly.

Ino shrugged. "Not really, Kia-chan. Most of our senseis gave us the day off. And oh my God! What happened to your neck?!" she said hysterically and jumped up to get a better look at it. Sasuke stiffened but I just looked her confusedly and she handed me a small mirror.

"Huh, would you look at that," I said seeing the cut above my choker Sasuke had given me last night. I shrugged. "Don't really know. Oh well," I lied handing back the mirror.

The door opened and a nurse with a tray came in. "Well, you certainly have a lot of friends, dear," she said setting the tray down on the table in front of me. I pulled the table closer to where it hovered over my lap.

I dug in as soon as she left the room. I was easily done in five minutes and then plopped back in my pillows contently and pushed the table away. I grabbed the remote and started to flip through the channels. "Oh, yay! The food channel!" I cheered.

Shikamaru sighed. "You just ate, how can you watch this?"

I shrugged. "But, I love the food channel. It gives me ideas of things I could cook or places I could go. There's some good stuff on here."

A nurse walked in a moment later. "I'm afraid Kiamari-san has some tests to do. I'm going to have to ask you all to leave. You may come back tomorrow."

I groaned and turned the television off. "Well, see you guys," I said as the nurse slowly helped me into a wheelchair and led me out of the room.

For some reason, being in the darkness of my lonely hospital room that night, I felt the need to cry myself to sleep and continued to do so throughout the week. I suppose I just felt sad and alone, wishing I had someone there at the end of the day to comfort me. This was just a futile hope. Then it got me thinking, was this how Naruto and Sasuke felt?

……………..

_**And that's where I'm ending it. Next chapter coming up in a bit. Chapter 6: An Accidental Kiss. MUAHAHA! **_

_Kiamari: -_- You're so mean. I'm only twelve and you're already putting me though so much. *throws script*_

_**Twelve and a half! Psh, besides, all things considered, you're not THAT bad for a twelve year old. I've seen much worse. And nothing overly bad really happens… at least not yet. ^w^**_

_Kiamari: . That doesn't make me feel any better…_


	6. An Accidental Kiss

_**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. My mom's been sick with the flu. Also, I improvise a lot so sorry if you find things that are not accurate. I either did not know or chose to make it that way. Anyways, on with the chapter! Oh, and uh, Happy New Years!**_

Chapter 6: An Accidental Kiss

"Ah, finally, I'm free!" I exclaimed walking away from the hospital. I could faintly make out a smile behind Kakashi's mask as I approached the training field after so long.

"Ah, nice to see you back, Kiamari-san," he said handing me a key.

"What's this for?" I asked curiously.

"THAT would be the key to your new apartment," he said giving me a map. "The doctor informed me you were kicked out the day before your… accident."

I grinned and rubbed the back of my head nervously. "Yeah… uh, thanks, I guess," I said a little uncertainly.

"Now, on with training. We can't let those abilities of yours slacken just because you've been in the hospital. I want you to spar with Sasuke," he said bluntly.

I sighed knowing this day would have come sooner or later. "Fine." I pulled off my bag and made sure I had plenty of weapons handy then I focused my chakra.

"And… go," Kakashi said boredly before sitting down to read his book.

I simply stood there waiting. "Are you going to attack anytime soon or should I just kick your ass now?" I asked.

He smirked. "Ladies first."

"Ok then," I replied and randomly charged at him throwing a punch to his to get a feel for his movements.

He dodged easily and caught my hand. I threw another punch and again he caught it. I kicked him and he held that as well. I smirked and lifted my other leg while twisting my body. Instead of trying to kick him I used the force of the motion to flip backwards and throw Sasuke on the ground. I quickly jumped back as he stood up.

He did a few handsigns then blew fire at me and I easily dodged it. Through the flames he charged at me but I managed to flip backwards and dodge him again. I quickly punched him before he could retreat but he poofed in a cloud of smoke leaving a log behind.

"Damn, a substitution," I muttered. He appeared behind me and held a kunai to my throat with one hand and held me tight with the other. I smirked.

"It looks like I won," he said.

"I beg to differ," I said as a clone of me came from behind and held a kunai to his own throat. "So what will you do?" I asked him, the knife tightening on my throat. "You could easily get rid of the clone but then I would be open to attack."

Sasuke poofed revealing another substitution then came at me from behind. He realized too late that they were both shadow clones. I landed on his shoulders then flipped backwards once more, bringing him flat to the ground. Sitting on his back, I grabbed his to lift his and placed the kunai over his neck.

"Now, you die, Uchiha," I said in an incredibly believable menacing voice. After a moment I laughed and got up. "Ah, mere child's play. How was that Kakashi-sensei?" I asked rather pleased with myself.

He looked up from his book. "Hm, done already? Er… yes, yes, you did very well. I suppose that's enough for one day. Good bye," Kakashi said disappearing in a puff of smoke.

I sighed. "Lazy perv," I muttered. I looked over to see Sakura gaping at me. "What? You're _boyfriend_ is fine! He's most likely just sulking that he was beat by a girl," I stated matter of factly.

"You're like a freakin acrobat!" Naruto exclaimed loudly out of the blue.

I shrugged. "A ninja needs to be light on their feet." I went over and grabbed Sasuke's hair. "Oy! Emo boy! Are you going to lay there all day or are you going to embrace your defeat? Besides, it would be a shame if you missed the party tonight. Just think of how disappointed your fans will be!" I exclaimed mockingly.

"Oh, shut up," he muttered.

"Wait, what? What was that? I'm afraid al I heard was I'm a loser!" I said pushing my luck.

"I said shut up!" he yelled.

I laughed and let go of his hair making his head drop back to the ground. "Sorry but I'm thinking no! I'm afraid you're just going to have to make me!" I said sticking my tongue out.

He got up moodily. "You're such a pain in the ass!"

I waved it off. "Yes, yes, and you're an egotistical dumbass. Now that that's out of the way, why don't you tell meh how ya really feel?" I said in a funny accent. I grabbed my bag. "Anyways, I'm going to go check out this new home. I'll see you guys later," I said heading off with the map in hand. "Now let's see," I mumbled to myself.

I sighed after a few minutes of walking down the streets. "Ok, why are you two following me?" I asked Naruto and Sasuke behind me.

"We're not, we are going home," Sasuke replied coldly.

"Right…" I said unconvinced stopping in between two apartment buildings. This area seemed familiar.

Naruto looked over my shoulder at the map. "Are you sure you're not lost?" he asked dumbly trying to help.

"Yes, Naruto, I know how to read a map," I said tiredly.

I heard Sasuke sigh and go into one of the apartment buildings while Naruto and I went into the opposite building.

"Is there a specific reason why you're following me to the top floor, Naruto?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Actually, believe it or not, I live here and Sasuke lives across the street," he said stopping with a smile. I detected a slight bitterness at the end of his sentence. "Looks like we'll be neighbors."

I smiled a little back. "I guess so!" Despite his annoying childish nature, I simply couldn't help but warm up to Naruto. He has this irresistible aura that just makes you want to be friends with him.

Later that night I walked out the door just as Naruto did and nearly ran into him. I gave a short laugh. "Hey, Naruto! Going to Ino's party, too?" I asked.

He nodded. "Er, why are you wearing pajamas, Kiamari-chan?"

I looked down at my sweat pants and tank top. "Oh, the party is also somewhat a sleepover for the girls," I said scratching the back of my head. "Anyways, come on. We're probably going to have to drag Sasuke to that party," I said looking up at his window once we were outside. I jumped up to the window ledge. "Hey, emo boy! Are you going to the party ot am I going to force you?" I asked cutely.

Sasuke sighed. "What do you want?" he asked annoyed.

I smiled. "Come on party pooper, you've got a party to go to!" I cheered.

He glared at me. "I'm thinking not," he muttered.

I glared back. "You are going, now. Or else…" I said darkly.

He groaned. "Fine, I'll go to the stupid party," he said and jumped down with me where Naruto was uncomfortably waiting. Immediately, a glare war broke out between them.

I put my arms around both their shoulders as we walked trying to ease the tension with one of my award winning toothy grins. "Come on, guys! Gosh, so hostile tonight!"

Naruto gave a light smile back at me but Sasuke only continued to glare. I kicked him in the leg. "Knock it off! You could at least pretend to care. After all, there's a party tonight!" I cheered a little too enthusiastically.

"Seriously, do you have multiple personalities or are you really this hormonal?" Sasuke asked irritatingly giving a look like I was out of my mind.

"Why yes! Yes I do!" I said laughing as we approached Ino's house. "Hey look, we're here!" I chimed in as I opened the door.

Ino looked over and waved happily. "Hey you guys! It's about time!" she said ignoring the fact I came in with an arm around Sasuke. Sakura, on the other hand, was giving me a death glare.

We sat down in their large circle. "So, what are we doing?" I asked.

Ino smirked. "Oh, we were just about to play truth or dare. You want to go first?" She asked. Obviously no one else wanted to be the first victim. Little did I know what she had up her sleeves.

I shrugged. "Sure, why not," I replied. "I choose dare."

Ino grinned evilly. "Let's see, I dare you to kiss Neji," she said with a mischievous chuckle.

I immediately slapped my forehead. "Ah, bloody hell. Are you serious?" I let out a big sigh and crawled over tucking my hair behind my ear. My heart was pounding nervously. There had to be a way to avoid the situation without actually avoiding it. An idea came as I slowly leaned forward. "Er, sorry about this Neji," I said in a soft voice and gently took his chin and turned his head lightly to give him a soft peck on the cheek. I sat back down grinning slyly at Ino who was obviously disappointed.

"Now let's see…" I said looking about the circle. "Oh, Chouji!" I yelled seeing a large bag of barbeque chips in his hand. I smiled mischievously. "Truth or dare, Chouji?"

"Dare," he replied with his mouth full.

I gave my wide toothed grin. "I was hoping you'd say that. I dare you to give me your bag of barbeque chips!"

A short gasp rang out and Chouji looked heartbroken as he slowly gave me the chips. I munched on them happily throughout the game, giving Chouji a handful every once in a while feeling a little bad for taking his chips. Then it was Naruto's turn.

"Truth or dare, Kiamari-chan?" he asked.

I perked up hearing my name. "Truth," I replied with my mouth full. I didn't want another kissing incident.

"Tell is about you before you came to Konoha," he asked eagerly.

I tapped my chin thoughtfully. "Hm, where to begin?" I asked knowing I shouldn't give away too much that isn't for certain or that might confuse them. "Well, I don't know a whole lot, actually. Since I was five, I lived in Suna. After I became a genin, my Lord sent me here."

Ino looked confusedly at me. "You're Lord? You mean like the Kazekage?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Well, not exactly, but close. To be honest I don't really know who he is but my guardian, Ayame, told me he was the one we worked under and that he rescued me as a baby. Supposedly, I was also considered like his daughter or something," I said trying my best to explain. "But, I really don't have any memories from back then. So, I really don't know who my real family is or where I actually came from. Anyways, anything else you want to know?"

Ino smiled delightedly. "I was hoping you'd say that! Let's play 20 questions on Kiamari-chan!" she yelled in delight. "My turn first. When's your birthday?"

I groaned. "It's March twenty-first."

"Er, what are those markings on your cheek?" Sakura asked uncomfortably.

I laughed a little. "Um, it's actually a little hard to explain, but I guess you could say it's sort of a birthmark," I reasoned.

Hinata smiled. "What's your favorite color, Kiamari-chan?"

I waved my hand. "That's easy. My favorite color is blue."

"What's your favorite food?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Psh, ramen and pockey of course!" I said as if the question really needed to be answered. "Ok, ok, that's enough. I'll just tell you what I can. Let's see… My favorite bug is a dragonfly, I love dogs AND cats, but then again I'm really just an all around animal person. I absolutely love the beach, especially at night during the summer and if I could I think I'd like to one day get married on the beach at sunset," I said dreamily. The girls obviously thought it was very romantic considering their little squeals and awes. "Now where was I, oh yes. I've always wanted to see a lunar eclipse and coincidentally my favorite flower is the moon flower. My favorite season is spring when everything comes back to life and is full of color. It's that time of year when it's really windy and is not too hot or cold. I'd say those are my perfect days," I said with a chuckle. "Oh, but my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I do love the snow, but it's just too damn cold. Oh, and I also love it when it rains and I like to just go out and sing and do whatever in it," I said finally taking a good breath. "Hm… I think that's everything… Anymore questions?" I asked after my long list.

There was complete silence. I was actually a little surprised no one had asked about my choker. I smirked. "Good!" I said plopping on my back. "I think that's enough truth or dare for one day."

Ino smirked. "Is that so?" She asked slyly. "Well, I guess we'll just have to play spin the bottle then!" she cheered lifting a bottle in the air.

I sat up immediately. "What!?" I cried. "Can't we just play cards or something?" I asked pleadingly.

"Nope!" she cheered setting the bottle down.

I sighed and watched Naruto spin the bottle and prayed it would land on Hinata for his sake. Wouldn't you know it, the damned thing landed on me. I sighed. "Do I have to?" I complained.

"Yes, now go to the closet," she said bluntly.

I groaned as him and I got up. "How long do we have to stay in there?" I asked.

"Oh, it's not that bad. You only have to stay in there for ten minutes," Ino replied giving me a wink and shoving us in before locking the door.

I fell on top of Naruto and groaned as we fell to the floor with a loud bang. "Ow, sorry Naruto," I mumbled before sitting in a corner awkwardly. After a few minutes I couldn't stand it anymore. "So, what do you see in Sakura?" I asked trying to break the silence.

"I don't know, I guess I always thought she was really pretty and cool," he replied blushing in the darkness.

I sighed. "That's so superficial and shallow, though. I think you could do a lot better than pinkie."

A minute later he spoke up again. "I don't have a chance with her do I?" he asked.

I gave a sympathetic look even if he couldn't see it. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but, I honestly don't think you do."

I heard him groan. ""You know, this may not be the best time, but, Hinata really likes you," I muttered.

"What was that?" he asked but before I could say anything, Ino opened the door. "Ok, times up!" she said looking a little disappointed to see us just sitting there. We quickly went back to our seats.

It was Kiba's turn to spin the bottle. He seemed disappointed when it didn't land on Hinata.

I sighed. "Again? But I just went! I don't want to go with dog-boy!" protested. However, I ended up being thrown in with him despite our complaints. I went back to my corner.

Akamaru immediately crawled into my lap. I smiled and patted him on the head. Then something dawned on me.

"Hey, Kiba?" I asked uncertainly.

"Hm?" he answered boredly.

"Do you really hate me?" I asked.

"What kind of question is that?" he snapped defensively.

"Well, I just thought since Akamaru likes me so much that you couldn't possibly really hate me. I figure you're just putting on a show and pretending to hate me and maybe expressing your friendship with me through Akamaru."

"No! Maybe Akamaru just thinks you smell like food since you're eating all the damn time!" he snapped.

"Oh…" I mumbled. Akamaru began to whine after a tear drop fell on his face and I sniffed.

"Hey, whoa! You're not crying are you?!" Kiba asked a little panicked.

"No you stupid mutt! Of course not!" I said as my voice cracked.

He leaned over and wiped my cheek in the darkness. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

The door opened and light flooded into the closet and then I realized just how close Kiba was to me. Turning bright red I instinctively kicked him through the doorway.

"Stupid mutt!" I yelled. Everyone busted out laughing as I came out stepping lightly over him.

When Lee spun the bottle it was me again! "Hold on, Lee! Spin it again!" I demanded and he did so and it still landed on me. "What the hell?!" I grabbed the bottle and spun it myself. It was me again. I glared at Ino. "Ok, what did you do, Ino?" I asked bitterly. She busted out laughing and pulled out a magnet from under my pillow that I was sitting on.

"I'm sorry, Kia-chan! I couldn't help it!" she said between giggles. "You're just so cute and innocent; it's so fun to mess with you!"

"Oh, hardy har har!" I said sarcastically and threw the magnet away. "Ok, you can spin now, Lee-kun." I couldn't help but laugh when the bottle landed on Ino which immediately shut her up. "Oh, come now, Ino-chan! You have to admit you kind of deserve it," I said dragging her inside. The game ended immediately after that and soon the guys left, too. Of course, once the guys left, us girls popped in a movie and did each other's hair and soon fell asleep.

"Woohoo! Six O'clock! It's closing time!" I cheered practically dancing as I flipped the sign on the door and spun back to the counter/

Ino laughed. "You're in a good mood today, Kia-chan."

I grinned as I took my day's pay. "Psh, well of course! I have money and Thanksgiving is next week! I'm going to stuff myself until I can hardly breathe!" I exclaimed. "Seriously, I can't thank you enough for letting me work here, even if it's just the register." I smiled and scratched the side of my head sheepishly. "Sorry I don't know much about flowers. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it."

Ino shrugged it off. "No big deal. Although, personally, I can't wait for Christmas. Something about it just gives off such a cheerful and warm vibe you know? I love it!"

I gave a forced smile at the mention of Christmas. "That's nice, Ino-chan. Anyways, I better head out. It's getting late and I'm hungry. If I hurry I can get to Ichiraku's before it closes!" I said waving before running out the door.

"Three bowls of ramen!" I yelled, slamming the money down on the counter and jumping into a chair. The old man laughed and went to work as I caught my breath. "Whoo, barely made it…"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Naruto walking this way and waved to him. "Hey, Naruto-kun! Come on!" I yelled.

He looked up then smiled and waved back. "Come on, spazz-head, sit down and eat! Then we'll head home together," I offered and he happily sat down.

I quickly slurped down the delicious noodles and gave a content sigh. "Ah, dang, you were right, Nrauto-kun. This ramen is terrific. I'm so glad I finally got to try it."

He looked at me like I was crazy. "You mean you've never eaten here before?" he asked unbelievably.

I nodded. "I've been trying to, but it always closed before I got here," I said and yawned. "Anyways, I'm done. I'll be ready when you are."

He quickly finished his bowl and stood up and I followed after, a crsip chill in the air. "Damn, it got cold fast, didn't it? I'm going to have to remember to bring a jacket from now on," I said aloud, rubbing my hands together and clenching my arms to my sides. A warm coat was placed around my shoulders and I quickly looked up shocked seeing Naruto grinning wide.

"Feel better?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Y..yeah, but whay about you?" I asked.

He shrugged. "No big deal. It doesn't bother me much," he replied then shivered.

I chuckled. "Liar. Get in here, too. I'm not going to be held responsible if you catch a cold," I said extending my arm so he can get under the jacket.

We walked to the apartments huddled close together under his bulky orange jacket. I smiled when we reached the doors. "So, how about a movie night?" I asked with a grin. "I think it's your choice this time," I offered.

He grinned back. "Sure. Meet you there. My place in five," he said trying to sound cool about it.

I busted out laughing. "Oh, don't ever do that again. That was just so wrong," I said shaking my head. "I'll bring the popcorn."

Three knocks and the door opens. I smiled in my black sweats and blue tank holding up a large bucket of popcorn. "So, what movie we watching?" I asked as I sat down on the couch with the food.

He sat down next to me and smiled turning on the TV with the remote. "A comedy," he said taking a handful of popcorn.

I shook my head. "Of course, the best kind of movie," I said. I stuck a stick of pockey in my mouth and leaned against Naruto's arm comfortably as the movie started. Ino and Hinata were great and all, but nothing beats having a guy friend around every once in a while. I was easily asleep halfway into the movie.

The bright sunlight eventually woke me up and I yawned. Naruto was sleeping soundly against the arm of the couch. He must have fallen asleep during the movie, too. I smiled softly to myself as I looked up at him. He actually looked kind of cute and sweet asleep like that. The shine of his messy blonde hair from the sunlight caught my attention. I couldn't help but lightly play with it with my fingers.

He chuckled softly. "What are you doing?" he asked in a sleepy voice without opening his eyes.

"Sh! Nothing, now go back to sleep, you're ruining it!" I hissed in a whisper.

"Ruining what?" he asked sitting up.

I pretended to pout as I sat up, too. "The moment! Yu went and ruined it! You actually looked quiet and not a troublemaker at all!" I exclaimed jokingly.

Naruto laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'm sorry," he said cheerfully with a yawn.

I smiled back. "It's ok," I said stretching. "You hungry?" I asked getting up off the couch. "'Cause I'm starving! What do you have?" I asked heading into the small kitchen.

"Um, some instant noodles and some cereal, maybe an apple or two," he replied.

"That'll work," I said closing the cabinets and making a quick breakfast. I brought it out on a tray and set it on the table in front of the couch. "Bon appétit!" I cheered and sat down with a cup of instant noodles in hand. Naruto happily dug in.

"So what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" I randomly asked when I had finished eating.

Naruto finished slurping down the noodles and shrugged. "I don't know. I usually don't do anything."

My mouth gaped open. "Nuh uh! Really? You don't do ANYTHING?! I asked unbelievably. He nodded. "Dang, Naruto! Thanksgiving is the best holiday ever! I can't believe you'd actually pass that up. You know what? We'll spend Thanksgiving together. After all, I can't eat all that food myself!" I exclaimed with a large grin.

Naruto grinned back. "Cool! I'll be there, then. Believe it!" he said giving a thumbs up.

I laughed and out of the corner of my eye noticed the time on the clock. "Oh crap! I'm late for work!" I cried jumping over the couch and out the door.

After about ten minutes I rushed into the shop. "I'm here! Sorry I'm late, Ino-chan!" I yelled pulling on my apron. "I accidently overslept."

Ino laughed. "Chill! Kiamari-chan, it's fine. We usually don't get customers this early anyways."

"Oh, ok," I said grinning sheepishly.

"Let's see, potatoes: check, eggs: check, stuff for gravy: checkity check, pies: check, whipped cream: mm, check… No, Shikamaru-kun, that's not cranberry sauce, that's; cranberry jelly. There is a difference," I said holding up a shopping list.

He groaned. "What a drag," he complained dropping the cans of cranberry sauce into the cart. "Why am I here again?"

I sighed. "Because Chouji was busy and Naruto doesn't care enough to go grocery shopping. Now, stay focused! Let's see, we still need a turkey," I said pointing and quickly skipped to the counter. "Hm, they all looks so good. What do you think, Shikamaru?" I asked cutely in all my bubbly Thanksgiving cheerfulness.

He turned his attention to the counter and pointed to a small turkey breast. "How about that one? It should be fine," he stated boredly.

I sighed. "Shikamaru-kun, that would barely be enough for me. Oh! That one is nice and plump! It's a full turkey, too! I'll take that one, Sir. Can I also get a couple pounds of that pork right there?" I asked smiling politely. "Thank you!"

"What do you need pork for?" Shikamaru asked seeing the already large pile of food I had collected.

I laughed. "I'm making oven roasted shish kabobs along with the deviled eggs for sort of an appetizer 'till dinner," I said simply.

He sighed. "Troublesome woman. Let's hurry up and buy the food already before you find anything else you…" he trailed off seeing me walking back with a bag in hand. "Now what did you get?"

I smiled. "Dumplings!" I exclaimed pushing the cart towards the checkout.

"Troublesome woman," Shikamaru muttered.

"Oh hush before I decide to take you up on your offer and let you pay, you troublesome man," I said irritably. That shut him up.

I opened the door and set all the bags down on the table and counters. "Thanks for helping me carry all the bags in, Shika-kun. By the way, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" I asked as I started putting everything away.

He shrugged. "Just eating with my family like I always do, nothing special," he replied. "Ok, seriously, how did you afford all of this? And where are you going to put it all? I don't think your table is big enough.

I laughed. "You didn't know? Ino gave me a job working with her and I've been saving up my money. As for the table, Naruto's bringing in his so there'll be plenty of room."

"Ah, well, I'm heading home since there's nothing else you need," he stated heading towards the door.

"Ok, see you later Shika-kun!" I said coming out from the kitchen. A small white tablet thing was laying on the floor. "I wonder if Shikamaru-kun dropped it," I mumbled and picked it up and rushed out the door.

"Um, Kiamari I think I…"

"Shikamru-kun did you…!" I started to yell but both our questions were cut off as I ran into him. Our eyes grew wide as we fell realizing we were stuck in an accidental kiss. "Ow!" I groaned beneath his lips then slowly got off him, both our faces turning red as he sat up.

"Troublesome woman," he muttered.

"Um… d..did… you accidently drop this Shikamaru-kun?" I asked holding the item up without looking at him and he quickly snatched it.

"Yeah, it's a, um, Shogi piece," he said quickly.

"Why do you have a Shogi piece?" I asked confusedly.

"No reason," he said with a smirk, obviously remembering something, then stood up. He held out a hand to help me up and I gladly accepted.

"Er, anyways, I guess I'll see you later, Shikamaru-kun," I said uncomfortably in my doorway.

"Yeah," he said avoiding eye contact.

"Well, bye then," I said closing the door. I leaned against it, my fingers hovering above my lips. No matter how much I could try to deny it, I had just had my first kiss. A smirk formed at the corners of my mouth. The holidays had only just begun and already it seemed to be a very interesting season…

_**Muahaha! I bet you thought the accidental kiss was with Neji. Haha! Yay for the fluff!**_

_Kiamari: *glares* You suck…_

_**I know! Next chapter; Chapter 7: 'Tis the Season. **_


	7. Tis the Season

_**And here's my last chapter for you guys. I actually get into my plot with this one. I'm sure some of you are wondering how the heck this is an Oc X Gaara fanfic. Well, that will all be explained later. This will be a rather long fanfiction. I actually plan on bringing Gaara back into the picture in about two chapters. Of course the release of it will depend entirely upon you readers. Now, onto the chapter!**_

Chapter 7: 'Tis the Season

I opened the door to see five Narutos carrying a table. I smiled lightly. "Hey Naru-kun! Just set it next to the other one. Oh, and if you could, put the table cloth over them," I said stepping lightly back into the kitchen.

"Now… oh, here. Put this on top of the TV. I've been looking for this for a while," I said handing over a box a small box. I went to the oven to pull out the turkey when I heard a loud crash. I cringed at the sound and nearly dropped the turkey. I hurried out.

"What the he…" I started to shout but stopped where I stood.

"What the hell is HE doing here?" Naruto shouted, pointing at Sasuke. I looked from one to the other. They were locked in a death glare.

I sighed and set the turkey on the table before slamming my fist down on Naruto's head. "You baka, I invited him. Honestly, making all that noise for nothing! And don't you damned ask why either! He's here because one, he's our neighbor, two, our teammate, and three, has no family or plans for today. Now help me finish setting the table."

They were stunned speechless and I realized it wasn't just because of my sudden outburst. They must have finally noticed what I was wearing based on their stares. I looked down at myself confused. I had on a flowy, blue Sunday dress and a loose, unbuttoned white sweater with a cute yellow apron over it. Whatever they were thinking, it must have been the same based on their equally blank expressions.

I sighed again. "Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to eat?" I asked turning around to finish setting the table before untying my apron. They quickly snapped out of it and, with a glare towards each other, sat down.

I sat on the other side of them smoothing the skirt of my dress out before bowing my head to give a short prayer of thanks. After which I happily dug into the delicious food I slaved for all day.

"Uh, I'm so full," I complained resting my head on the edge of the sink. I dreaded to look back up at all the dishes I had to do. I sighed. "It's too bad Naruto and Sasuke decided to leave after dinner. I could've made them do this for me. Oh, well. Let's get this over with."

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The bell rang and Ino looked up surprised. "Kia-chan?! What are you doing here? It's your day off."

I had slammed the door open in a panic. "Ino-chan! I..I.. I need a kimono!" I yelled holding up an invitation. I slowly walked in trying to catch my breath.

She laughed. "Oh, is that all? What for?" she asked.

I sighed. She didn't seem to grasp the severity of the situation. "It's for the Christmas Eve banquette at the Hyuga's," I said bitterly.

She giggled. "Oh, yeah. Ok, come on. I probably have one you can borrow," she said leading me next door to her room. She immediately dug through her closet and pulled out a few kimonos and layed them gently on her bed. "These should fit you. Pick your poison."

I stroked lovingly at a dark purple, blue, and silver kimono. "Can I try this one on?" I asked breathlessly, admiring the smooth touch of the silk. Ino nodded and pointed to the bathroom. I came out a few minutes later.

"Ino, does it look alright?" I asked walking back into the room and spun around slowly looking over my shoulder.

She gazed at me with a wide smile. "Wow, Kia-chan! You look gorgeous! It fits you perfectly! Wait, how come you didn't ask to borrow a kimono weeks ago? The party is tomorrow. "

I shrugged. "I didn't get the invite until yesterday. Maybe it got lost in the mail or something," I said uncertainly.

Ino nodded. "Maybe," she said with a frown. "Kia-chan, you should wear your hair down," she said suddenly.

I looked up surprised. "What?!"

"Well, I realized you always have it pulled up and you have such pretty hair. You should really think about letting it loose," she said with an admiring tone.

I shrugged. "I guess I never really thought about it," I said stroking my hair. "It's so long and it usually gets in the way so I keep it pulled back. Anyways, thanks again for letting me borrow it. I better head home." I said giving her a hug before I went to go change back into my clothes. "I'll see you tomorrow Ino-chan."

I stepped carefully up the path to the manor. I could already hear laughter and music from where I was walking and figured I must have been one of the last people there. "Man, I can't believe I'm so late. I should have never taken that nap." I groaned. "I didn't even eat today. I hope I didn't miss the food," I said as the door slid open and two servants welcomed me.

"Good evening, Kiamari-san," they said bowing in unison.

I smiled and made way to Hinata, trying not to feel out of place. "Hinata-chan!" I said giving her a hug. "You look so cute!" I exclaimed seeing her lavender satin ribbons in her hair and the matching kimono.

"Kiamari-chan, I'm so glad you made it," she said in a cheerful whispered tone. Then I noticed how quiet it had gotten and looked around nervously. So much for blending in, everyone was staring at me.

I looked confusedly at Hinata. "Why is everyone staring? Is it because I'm late?" I whispered.

Ino suddenly came from behind laughing and hugged me. "Aw, Kiamari-chan! You look so beautiful!" she squealed. "I'm so glad you wore your hair down!"

I cringed at the high pitched squeal but smiled none the less. "Uh, thanks, Ino-chan."

"I'm being serious! You and Ten-ten need to put your hair down and dress up more often! Jeez, you're two peas in a pod with all your tomboyness." Sure enough, I saw Ten-ten did have her perfectly straight hair down and was wearing a nice emerald green and blue kimono. Then my eyes spotted Sakura, with her fricken pink hair pinned up and a red and gold kimono, trying to flirt with Sasuke.

I busted out laughing when I realized why her kimono seemed familiar. "Oh, wow! Ino-chan, you do know you and Sakura are wearing the same kimono, right?"

Ino gritted her teeth. "Yeah, don't remind me," she muttered then hurriedly went over to Sasuke's other side to "steal him back" from Sakura.

"Well, anyways, what's for dinner?" I asked Hinata.

She looked down, embarrassed. "Um… I'm sorry Kiamari-chan… but… well, we already ate dinner."

My mouth gaped open. "Ah, man! Are you serious? Dang, I didn't realize I was_ that _late!" I rubbed the back of my head. "Oh, well."

Hinata smiled. "Well, if it makes you feel better, we're about to have games and later we'll all open presents!" she said trying to be optimistic. "Right now people are mostly just dancing or talking."

I smiled. "Well, that's coo- wait! Ino didn't have anything to do with these games did she?" I asked remembering her party a few months ago.

Hinata nodded. "Well, actually she did have a little to do with it."

I nodded. "Great... Well, I'll just hang about until I have to go hide," I said cutting through the room to a corner where I spotted Shikamaru napping. I poked at his dark green robes. "Come on sleepy head! Wake up! You should be dancing!"

He groaned and glared at me through half-closed eyes. "Troublesome woman." He yawned and sat up. "What do you want?"

I grinned and pulled him along by the arm. "Come on lazy bum! It's time to get up and dance!" I said laughing.

He groaned again. "But I can't dance, you idiot."

"That's ok. Neither can I!" I said laughing some more. Right when I stopped the song changed to a slower pace. "Oh, bloody hell!"

He chuckled. "Looks like your plan backfired."

I crossed my arms and sighed. "Oh, shut up." I started to walk away when he grabbed my arm as I was in mid turn. I looked up.

He smiled nervously but kept his arm outstretched. "You already dragged me here, we might as well dance," he said pretending to be annoyed. He didn't hide his blush very well.

I nodded not sure what to say. Meanwhile, I failed to notice Sasuke staring at me while Ino and Sakura desperately tried to get him to slow dance with one of them. I couldn't even look up at Shikamaru, I was too focused on my feet trying not to kill one of us with my clumsiness. For someone who couldn't dance, Shikamaru glided across the floor with ease. Such a liar.

When the song ended I heard Ino yell out, "Ok! It's time to start the first game! Everybody grab a partner because it's a dance off!" In my delusion, I could swear I felt eyes on me.

"Oh, shit," I muttered and hurriedly went outside. No way was I going to be stuck being someone's partner. Quite frankly, I couldn't dance worth a damn but just because I knew that didn't mean I wanted everyone else to know. Then I hit something hard and nearly fell except someone caught me. "Ow, damn it all, I'm always running into shit," I cursed rubbing my head.

"Are you alright?" I heard a monotone voice say.

I looked up and saw Neji. I sighed. Oh, this is just great. "Yes, I'm fine," I said before sitting on a stone bench in front of a koi pond. "So, not into dancing?" I presumed trying to make conversation so it didn't get too awkward.

Surprisingly he sat down next to me. "You could say that. I don't care for dancing much. So, why aren't you in there?"

I chuckled. "Simple, I can't dance. I'd rather not make a fool of myself. I may have a graceful acrobatic style while fighting, but that's mostly from years of training. I'm actually clumsy as hell. Besides, any games Ino-chan has up her sleeves is a little too much for me." I kicked a small pebble into the water. "You know, life may not be all what you think it should be but it doesn't all have to be predetermined you know. Lee told me that was your way of excepting your… um, unfair situation."

He stiffened. "You're wrong. We are given a set path and in the end it is our destiny to face the fate given to us," he said bitterly.

I shrugged. "Believe what you want. We may all die one day but our lives are different. It's ever changing based on the decisions we make and the people we know. The future is in our hands, not the other way around," I said looking up at the stars. "The sky is so vast but it doesn't make any one of us insignificant. Any one of those stars has its own little place but they are always moving, always changing, forming a beautiful pattern. If one goes out or even if it shines brighter, it changes the design that much more." I sneezed. "Anyways, I better head back inside before I get sick. I'm feeling a little whoozy as it is," I said getting up. "See you around Naji-kun."

The moment I walked back inside I was tackled by Naruto in his orange robes. I couldn't help but laugh. "Kiamari-chan! Where were you? You missed the dance contest!"

"Yeah, yeah, what else is new? So what's the next game, or was I lucky enough to miss it all?" I asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Ino's passing around two hats with some cards or something. One for girls and one for the guys. Other than that I really don't get it."

I shook my head. "This can only end badly," I muttered. I faked a yawn. "Naruto, I'm really tired. I think I'll just go home."

Naruto looked shocked. "What? You can't go home yet!" I laughed a little at the cute childness of it. "Please, Kiamari-chan? How about I take you home after presents?"

I shook my head knowing I was too nice. "Fine. But you're carrying me," I said jokingly. We each took a card out of the hats when Ino interrupted our conversation. I looked at the card confusedly. "Ino-chan, I don't get it," I said as Naruto stood up and walked off.

She looked at the card and started laughing. "You have to give a kiss to whoever was told to stand under the mistletoe."

I stiffened in shock. "W..w..what? Seriously?" I sighed. "Man, these games are so stupid. I'm really beginning to hate parties," I said getting up to see Naruto under the mistletoe. With a huff I walked over, my more conservative side taking over. I glanced at Ino and then smirked and kissed Naruto's nose, making him blush slightly. "There, I did a game. Can we please just open the presents?" I asked aloud.

Hinata agreed and led us into the main room where a tree with a lot of presents around it stood. Everyone immediately started opening their presents. I, on the other hand, slowly walked over uncomfortably.

Apparenly, everyone did a secret santa. However, since I was never told, I bought presents for almost everyone. On the upside, most of them thought of giving me presents as well so I was pretty happy about that. Ino confessed she wasn't sure what to give me so she decided to let me keep the kimono I borrowed and Chouji, in his infinite wisdom, gave me a large box full of pockey. I also received a silk scarf from Hinata and, oddly enough, some training weights from Lee. At least he had good intentions where as Sakura and Tenten must have still been bitter towards me and even told me flat out they didn't get me anything. Meh, what could you do. I can't be friends with everyone. As soon as we were done with the presents, I gave Hinata a hug and Naruto and I left.

Naruto shifted his bag full of our gifts and smiled. "Ready?" he asked. I nodded tiredly. This was just too much excitement then I could handle. I really should stop going to these parties. Not long after we started walking home, I began to feel really dizzy. I felt my feet give way and next thing I knew, I was on the cold ground.

"Are you ok, Kiamari-chan?" Naruto asked picking me up slowly. "You don't look so good."

I slowly looked up at him, his face full of worry. "I'm fine…I.. I just need some rest… maybe a big breakfast," I said sleepily resting my head on his shoulder.

"Kiamari-chan, when's the last time you ate?" he asked picking up on my hints as he slowly walked down the streets.

I shrugged. "I don't know… yesterday?" I whispered. He only sighed. I began to cough heavily. "Naruto, it's cold…" I whispered.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Ugh… my head hurts," I said in a hoarse voice as I woke up. I looked down to see I was still wearing my kimono. "That's weird," I said looking around. "How did I get home?" I wondered to myself. I quickly decided to shrug it off and change into some sweats. The warm aroma of ramen filled the air and I curiously went into the kitchen.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" I asked tiredly.

He turned around with a big grin. "Good morning! Merry Christmas Kiamari-chan!" he cried cheerfully. "I made you some instant ramen," he said setting down a couple bowls.

I eagerly sat down despite my soreness. "Thanks, Naruto-kun," I muttered before gulping it down. I could feel the warmth run down my sore throat and throughout m stiff body. I gave a satisfied sigh when I finished.

When I looked back up at Naruto, I saw something black and fuzzy on his head and coked my head to the side. "Naruto-kun, what is that on your head?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Some cat. I found her on your window seal last night. Here, this was was next to her," he said handing me a card. I read it.

_Merry Christmas, Kiamari- san._

_I hope you enjoy my little gift._

I flipped it over. "Huh, no name. Oh well." I clicked my tongue. "Come here, Nekomata," I cooed. The cat immediately jumped down from Naruto's head and began to purr as it rubbed against me. I giggled softly. "Aw, she's so cute," I said stroking her. She was a small, fluffy, black cat with a lavender bow around its neck. I smiled and got up to put on my long black sweater and my new scarf.

"Where are you going, Kia-chan?" Naruto asked.

"I'm just going out for a bit. There's some things I need to take care of," I said trying to hurry out the door.

"On Christmas? But Kiamari-chan!" he yelled.

"Yeah! Look after Neko-chan for me!" I called jumping over the balcony not staying to hear the rest of his statement. Naruto looked at the box in his hands and sighed.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I slunk into the bench and sighed. "Finally, some time to think," I said. The cold air clung to my skin and, with a shiver, I pulled my sweater closer around me. I gazed sadly over the frozen lake. "Stupid Christmas," I muttered. "How can people be so cheerful when everything dies at this time of year?" I sighed. "At least they have families to spend the time with… unlike me."

My pathetic daydreaming was cut short and I had to quickly jump into the air to avoid a shuriken that flew through the air towards me. Despite my attempt to dodge, it still managed a cut to my side. I winced in pain as I landed on the ground. Damn, I had left my defenses down. I should've known better than not to keep the Dragon's Skin up at all times. I heard clapping as a man with silver hair tied back and glasses came into view from the mass of trees behind the bench.

"Bravo. I must say, that was excellent, Kiamari-sama," he said in a sickeningly cheerful way.

I glared at him. "Who the hell are you?" I demanded in my still raspy voice.

He smirked. "Oh, pardon me, I suppose you don't remember. I'm Kabuto, and Lord Orochimaru-sama wanted me to personally check up on you after all these years," he said mischievously with kunai knives in his hand.

"Yeah, well I'm doing just fine," I said bolting into the trees. I could hear his cackle behind me.

"Wait!" I heard someone yell but I refused to slow down. My legs instinctively carried me forward as my heart raced in a near panic. Unfortunately, my clumsiness took over as fatigue began to settle and I tripped and slid across the ground into a tree.

Hearing the bushes rustle I threw a kunai as the figure came into view but they dodged it with ease. "Stay back!" I yelled holding up another kunai and meekly slid up the tree to a standing position as my other hand clutched my side.

"Kiamari? What are you doing?" Sasuke said in that unreadable tone as he stepped from the shadows.

"Sasuke?" I said confusedly. "But, I thought…" I muttered looking around.

"Hmph, well, the great Kiamari knows a little thing called fear," he mocked darkly stepping closer. "Looks like that Dragon's Skin isn't holding up too well."

"Shut up you damned Uchiha! I'm not the one sneaking around chasing people!" I snapped. I'm not sure how much I was making sense but I was scared and angry and Sasuke was asking for it.

He shoved my shoulder firmly against the tree I was leaning on. He came down dangerously close, his body pressing lightly against me. He glared straight at me.

'Oh great, not this shit again. I'm so tired of being pinned to walls,' I thought. "What, you going to threaten to kill me again… Sasuke-kun?" I said provoking him.

He squeezed harder on my upper arm and leaned in slightly. However, his dark eyes seemed to sadden and he gave a sigh. "Why do you do that?" he asked.

I narrowed my eyes. "Do what?"

"Every time I decide I hate you, you have to open that stupid mouth of yours and confuse me," he said softly.

This took me by surprise for a second. That definitely didn't sound very Sasuke like. "Maybe because you don't hate me at all?" I offered.

His eyes met mine and he stroked my cheek, wiping away my frightened tears. Then he slowly leaned in and kissed me. My eyes widened in shock at the shear force and desperation of it. Too exhausted to fight, I slowly closed my eyes in acceptance. This sort of thing seemed to be happening to me a lot lately.

He gently broke the kiss. "Stupid girl, don't you know you shouldn't have to suffer either," he whispered kissing my tear stained cheek lightly.

My eyes fluttered open but he was already gone. Slowly I slid down the tree onto the cold ground. I could see the snow fall heavily all around me, much like the warm sand in the wind used to back in Suna. Wishing for that same warmth, I slowly drifted off into darkness. For a moment I almost though I could hear my name being yelled as a figure walked towards me.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hello dark oblivion, have we met before?" I asked into the darkness, my voice echoing all around me. "Oh, really? Only once before? Hm, well, that's nice," I said walking aimlessly. I could feel warmth as if I was walking on sand yet, it felt as if I was walking on nothing at all.

A blue flame seemed to engulf me and project a faint glow. I could feel a light pain but I ignored it. "Hello? Is anyone out there!?" I shouted.

A large pair of deep purple eyes with silver slits for pupils appeared in front of me. I heard a rough chuckle as a row of pointed fangs smiled down upon me.

"Ah, a young girl. Hm, you don't seem like you'd make much of a snack," a rich feminine voice rang out.

I sighed. "Everyone's a critic. Wait, you wouldn't happen to be Jin?" I asked not sure how I knew that.

The blue flame's glow seemed to spread and the beast came into view. "Ah, yes, I would be Jin, the great two-tailed demon dragon. To what do I owe the pleasure? Oh! You wouldn't happen to be here to give back my Crystal Heart, now would you?" she said eyeing the blue gem tied on a black cloth around my neck.

I sighed. "What does my cursed necklace have to do with you?" I asked stubbornly.

Jin chuckled. "Cursed? How interesting. It seems there isn't enough time to explain. I have a feeling we'll be meeting again, though. You're seem to be such a troublesome host…" The voice began to fade and I was thrown back into darkness.

_**Dun dun dun! Cliff hanger. I ended up doing more than I intended. Some of my friends requested more fluff scenes with Sasuke and Naruto because they thought it was humorous. Well, this is my last free chapter for you all. Two reviews will get you the next one. Next chapter, Chapter 8: Back to the Hospital.**_


	8. Back in the Hospital

_**Hello my semi-loyal fans. I thought I wouldn't be continuing this story since NOBODY reviews anymore but I changed my mind. This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful jinxedpixie who went and read my story and then reviewed to nearly every chapter. I loves you lots! So…. Enjoy I guess.**_

Chapter 8: Back in the Hospital

I woke up dazed, unsure of where I was. As I came to, I could hear voices in the background.

"_And you say she has NO family whatsoever?" _

There was a sigh. "_I already told you she has none. Is she going to be ok? Is there anything new about the glowing the other night?"_ I heard a familiar voice say. 'Shika-kun?' I thought absently.

There came another sigh. _"It's hard to say. We've never seen a poison like this before and it spread so fast. We've been able to at least stabilize her so she won't be in danger, at least for the time being. For now, it's just a matter of when she'll wake up. As for the glowing, we can't make sense out of it." _After that I heard the door close and footsteps come towards me.

I tensed a little when I felt someone touch my hand. "_Troublesome woman, you better wake up soon,_" I heard a whisper. 'Yep, definitely Shika-kun.'

A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Troublesome man," I said in a hoarse whisper. "I wish you would stop taking me to this quack house."

was at the expense of Shikamaru since Ino shoved him out of the way to get to me.

I heard him jump to his feet in surprise. "Kiamari-san?" he said in almost a panicked tone.

I opened my eyes and saw Shikamaru hovered over me with that worried expression of his. His face seemed a little red and swollen. "What's wrong, Shika-kun?" I asked feebly lifting my hand to his face.

"Ino, Chouji, wake up!" he snapped and I turned my head to see Ino and Chouji sleeping on the couch by the large window. Once they realized I was awake I was immediately attacked with hugs from both sides. Of course, it

I looked at the bedside table where a box of pockey and a fox plushie stood. I read the card.

"_Kia-chan, meant to give this to you but didn't get a chance. It's your Christmas present. I… uh… forgot to wrap it. Don't worry, Nekomata is fine._

_~Naruto"_

"So, where is everyone? Usually when I'm in the hospital you guys throw a party," I said jokingly remembering the swarm of people from my previous visit.

Ino smiled thoughtfully. "They're all on missions right now," she said gently.

I looked confusedly at them. "What's going on? You all look like you've been crying or something." I heard Shikamaru sigh and leave the room. I frowned watching him go.

Ino smiled sympathetically. "Uh, Kia-chan, you've been passed out in the hospital for over a month. Next week is Valentine's Day." She said.

I shot up in shock and suddenly found my voice. "What?! Ow… ow," I winced in pain and slowly fell back into my pillows.

Chouji nodded and ruffled my hair in a comforting way. "Oh, and don't worry about Shikamaru, he's always like that."

Ino nodded. "The truth is, he was really worried. He's been up here every night keeping an eye on you just in case you woke up."

Chouji smiled. "That's not entirely true, Ino. When we were on our missions, Sasuke and Naruto were here." Ino glared to the side at the though of her beloved Sasuke being here.

I couldn't help but give a small chuckle. "Naruto AND Sasuke? I'm surprised this room isn't covered in blood. Ah, to think, they actually withstood eachother's presence for little ol' me. I only wish I could've seen the glares they were giving each other," I said thoughtfully. Just the thought of it was unbelievably funny.

I slowly tried to get out of bed. "Chouji-kun, hand me those crutches would ya?"

Ino looked a little worried. "Kia-chan, where do you think you're going?! You need to rest!"

"Chill, Ino-chan. I've been sleeping for over a month, I gotta go pee!" I said obnoxiously as I limped out of the room.

Actually, I lied. I didn't really need to do anything. I was making a break for it. The plan would have worked perfectly, too, if Shikamaru didn't see me limping around a corner. Of course, I ran like hell trying not to laugh like a mad-woman, which wasn't very fast with crutches but still managed to slip away somehow. Probably because of Shikamaru's laziness.

This victory was short lived. As I rounded another corner towards the elevators, I ran into Naruto. "Ow… Naruto-chan!" I said happily and he grinned widely at me.

"Kiamari-chan! You're awake!" He noticed I was wearing the hospital gown still. "Uh, what are you doing?"

"Sh! I'm bustin' out of this quack house, baka!" I said in a quieter tone. "Oh, by the way, when did you get back from your mission? … And why do you look so beat up?" I asked, noticing the bandages and bruises.

He grinned a little nervously. "We just got back this morning. Don't worry, this is nothing! I'll be better in no time, BELIEVE IT!"

I nodded. "Good. Now, I have to go find that damned Uchiha so I can whack him my crutches," I said with a smirk.

"Er, actually, Sasuke's in his own room," he said pointing two doors down. "He got beat up pretty bad although, some of it was before the mission," he said a little sheepishly with a cocky smirk.

I sighed limped to the room. I should have known they couldn't spend that much time together without trying to kill each other. I groaned knowing I'd probably never make it to the exit at this rate. So much for escaping.

With some difficulty, I managed to slide the door open and limp in. "Well, well, well, look who's in the hospital," I said smugly.

Arms crossed, Sasuke groaned and turned his head away from me. "Hmph, you're one to talk," he muttered.

I sighed. "Yeah, well, this isn't exactly my fault. Besides, after a month I would've thought you'd be happy to see me awake! Especially after putting up with Naruto-kun all that time just to keep an eye on me," I said teasingly.

Both their mouths gaped open in surprise. "How'd you find out about that!?" Naruto yelled.

I laughed. "Ah, so it's true! Yeah, Ino and Chouji filled me in. Well, since you look pretty pathetic, it looks like I'll have to beat you two later. I have some escaping to do!" I said with a grin and headed out the door as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, I didn't make it passed the door.

"There you are you troublesome woman! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" An exhausted looking Shikamaru snapped.

"Damn! I was trying to escape you troublesome man! Now move!" I said hitting him on the side with a crutch.

"Ow! You idiot! You're going to open you're wound back up this way! You need to go back and get some rest! OW! Stop that!" he yelled.

"Rest? I've been asleep for over a month! Screw this place, I'm going home!" I snapped back trying to push passed him. I could here Naruto laughing behind me.

Just as I started to walk away, I became frozen. "What the!? Ah, damn it, Shikamaru! You let go right now!" I yelled as I realized he used his shadow possession jutsu on me.

"Sorry, but you are staying here," he said in a serious voice. "Naruto, get her crutches," he ordered as he released me just before picking me up.

………………………………………………………………

I groaned. "You know, you can go home, Shika-kun," I stated boredly flipping through the channels. "I mean seriously, it's eleven o' clock! How long are you staying here?"

"I'm not leaving. Someone has to make sure you don't try to escape again," he said tiredly.

I sighed. "Ok, you staying here all night while I was in a coma was cute then, but now it's just annoying."

His eyes widened and he stiffened in shock. "W…what?! How'd you find out about that?"

I shrugged with a chuckle. "Ino-chan," I said with a wink. He turned his head in a huff but I could still see a faint blush on his cheeks.

I just shook my head. "You know, you can go to sleep," I said as he gave me a look of disbelief. "What? I promise I won't escape, cross my heart." He seemed to accept this. "Now come on, I'm not letting you sleep on that couch. It's hard as a rock! It's no wonder you have bags under your eyes," I said patting the rest of the large hospital bed.

He looked at me like I was crazy. "I'm not sleeping in the same bed as you. It's not practical," he stated.

I sighed. "Look, I've been asleep for over a month! I'm not getting any sleep tonight. The last thing I need is to hear you complain tomorrow how much you hurt and how much that couch sucks. Now, get in here," I demanded scooting over more.

He sighed. "What a drag," he complained but got up and layed on the bed anyways. "You're such a pain in the ass," he said rolling on his side to face the window, keeping as much distance between us as possible.

I grinned. "I know! Night Shika-kun!" I cheered.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Shikamaru woke up slowly but immediately realized I wasn't in the bed. He quickly looked at a nearby clock. It was already passed noon. The door open and closed.

"Well, it's about time, lazy-butt!" I said with a grin. "I didn't think you'd ever wake up." I yawned. "I've been up, well technically since yesterday, but they got me at six this morning. Ugh, you wouldn't believe the day I've had. On a good note, they said I could go home today!" I cheered.

"So what's the bad news?" he asked noticing he look I was giving.

I sighed. "I'm on house arrest. Oh yeah, and this is your new mission," I said giving him the note. "Apparently, you have to be my guard," I said with a shrug. "Sounds like a lot of trouble over nothing," I commented cluelessly.

Shikamaru groaned. "What a drag."

I grinned. "Well, come on my all mighty guard! It's time to go home!" mocked.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

I banged on the door. "Naru-chan! Open up! I know you're in there!" I yelled through the door.

Shikamaru sighed. "I thought you were going home?"

I tapped the door next to me. "We are home, I'm just saying hi to Naruto-kun," I replied as the door he opened the door with a black fuzz-ball on his head. "Neko-chan!" I cheered. The black cat jumped won into my arms happily. "Look, Naru-chan! They released me from the quack house!"

Naruto chuckled. "Uh, Kiamari-chan, why is Shikamaru here?"

I sighed. "Well, even though I got to leave, both the doctors and the hokage have ordered me to house arrest and Shika-kun has been assigned as my guard. So, we'll just have to have movie night at my place for a while!"

I ear Shikamaru groan. "Ok, ok already! We'll go inside! I'll see you tomorrow, Naru-chan!" I said hurrying to open the door.

Nekomata purred gently in my arms. "Neko-chan, I'm so sorry baby! Mommy had to go to the hospital and left you with Naruto." I kissed her soft head and set her down. I quickly grabbed the remote to turn on the TV before throwing it back on the couch. "You can watch whatever, Shikamaru-kun. I'm just going to get out of these dirty clothes," I said heading for my room.

I came out to see Shikamaru on the floor reaching desperately for the remote. "Here kitty, now just push the remote forward a little," he mubled.

I giggled. "You're so lazy," I said bending down to claim the remote as mine and plopped comfortably on the couch.

…………………………………………………………………………………

"Shika-kun! Good you're up! Here, I need you to go get these for me," I said handing him a grocery list. "Seriously, and I thought I liked to sleep."

He looked confusedly at the messy kitchen. 'What are you doing?"

I smiled. "I'm making chocolate fudge and cookies for everyone for V-day."

He seemed a little shocked. "Everyone?"

I nodded. "Yep, you, Ino, Chouji, Naruto…" I took a deep breath. "There's even some for Neji and Tenten," I said a little unhappily. "Now hurry and get to the store! I have hardly any food here!" Shikamaru sighed and quickly left.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Thanks, Naru-chan. Sorry you had to carry me," I said sheepishly.

He nodded. "It's fine Kiamari-chan. We'll just have our movie night tomorrow! Believe it!" he said as an annoyed Shikamaru walked in.

"How did you end up back in the hospital after only a day?!" he complained.

I smiled. "Well, I'm a cluts and there was some water on the floor and, well, I sprained my ankle. Don't worry. I had finished all the baking and Naruto made sure that there was a note left and the kitchen wouldn't burn down," I said reassuringly. "And on the good note, I'm a fast healer and I get to go home tomorrow!" I said trying to be optimistic.

Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag…"

_**Dun dun! Hehe… I like doing that… So…. Kiamari's poisoned… she was magically glowing… and now she's back in the hospital! Woo! Next Chapter;**_

_**Chapter 9: V-day and B-day.**_

_**Remember, it is inexcusable to read and not review! Two reviews will get you the next chapter. It is not hard just to say something real quick. I cannot make sure I'm doing what I need to without support and or helpful criticism! I will sick Gaara on you! Who actually will be joining us this next chapter. YAY! REVIEW!**_


	9. V Day and B Day

_**Hello! I was really bored one day and my inspiration for this story kind of just flowed back into me! ^w^ So enjoy it!**_

Chapter 9: V-day and B-day

I sighed as I carried the bag of goodies around the town while looking at a piece of paper. "Shika-kun, how the heck am I going to deliver all these chocolates? Come to think of it, I don't think I even know where everyone lives, let alone where to find them," I said tiredly.

He shrugged. "There's plenty of time, I wouldn't worry about it. How's your ankle?" he asked.

I cocked an eyebrow. "It was only a sprang. It healed last week, remember? Seriously, you worry too much." I looked back down at the paper. "Let's see, Lee, Neji, and Tenten are probably training right now and that spot is closest. So we'll go there first!" I said making a sharp turn and quickly picking up my pace. Shikamaru groaned as he followed behind me.

"Lee-kun!" I waved as I approached the clearing. I stopped just short of them and smiled holding up three small bags of chocolate fudge and cookies. "Happy Valentine's Day!" I cheered. Nekomata popped her little head out of the large bag carrying all my stuff. "HEY! There you are Neko! How'd you get in there?" I asked picking her up and allowing her to crawl up onto my head.

Lee happily took the small bag and opened it. "Oh! You made cookies!" he chimed as he ate one. "Thank you very much, Kiamari-chan! This is delicious!"

I smiled. "Thank you!" Neji and Tenten had yet to move so I went over to them. "Don't just stand there. I swear they're not poisoned," I said putting them into their hands. I looked up at the sky briefly to get a general idea of what time it was. "Hm, still morning. Ok, well I have to go make my deliveries! See you guys later!" I said cheerfully, practically skipping away.

Neji held the bag confusedly watching me leave. "Well, that was odd," he said before gently opening the bag. Tenten merely shrugged and opened hers as well.

I laughed as I made my way to Hinata's home. "I kind of feel like Cupid or something."

Shikamaru gave me a strange look. "Why?" he asked boredly.

"Because it's Valentine's Day and I'm going around delivering stuff. Actually, it makes me sound like the Easter Bunny…. OH! I know! I could be the V-Day Kitty!" I said hyperly.

"Why a cat?" Shikamaru asked confusedly at my babbling.

I reached up to stroke Nekomata's head. "I don't know. Because I like cats I guess. AH! There it is!" I said spotting the home. The usual maids opened the doors as we approached. "Arigato! Is Hinata-chan home?" I asked. They nodded and let me in.

I went up to her room and smiled as I found her. Too bad Kiba was also here but then again, I wasn't really surprised. "Happy Valentine's Day!" I cheered, interrupting whatever they were talking about. Hinata smiled and Kiba just sort of sighed. I gave them both small little bags. "Here you go! I made them myself!"

Hinata smiled and ate one of the cookies delightfully. "They're so good Kia-chan! I love them," she said in her whispered tone.

Kiba shrugged and ate one of the pieces of fudge. He noticed Shikamaru and smirked. "So, are you and Shikamaru on a date or something?" he said teasingly.

I scowled and poked out my lip a little. A faint blush hit both of our cheeks. "No we are not, you baka! Shikamaru-kun has been assigned as my guard or something or another. Besides, it's too cliché to go on a date on V-Day," I said before smirking. "What about you, Kiba-kun? You seem cozy here with Hinata," I mocked. He just turned his head and scowled at the wall trying not to blush.

"So, how's your day been so far, Hinata-chan?" I asked happily.

She smiled. "It's been nice. Who else do you have to give gifts to?" she asked.

I sighed and looked at my list. "Um… Shino, Ino, Chouji, Sasuke, Sakura, a couple other people… oh and Naruto. For some reason he wasn't at home this morning…" I said looking back up. "Speaking of which, I better get going. I still have a way to go. By the way, you wouldn't happen to know some of their addresses would you?" Hinata nodded and quickly gave me a piece of paper with a list of addresses. "Arigato! I'll see you later!" I said before giving Kiba a kissy face then laughing.

"You never learn," Shikamaru said.

I grinned. "Nope! I sure don't!" I pulled out the piece of paper. "Now let's see…." I said looking it over.

By the time I was heading home, I had given something to everyone except for my squad. Shikamaru ended up holding the flowers and boxes of pockey Ino and Chouji had given me. "Damn, where could they be?" I said a little annoyed. Most of the hyper energy I had had earlier that morning was gone now.

"I hear some yelling not too far away. That would probably be them," he said boredly pointing in the direction of the training field.

I nodded. "That would make sense. Good job, Shika-kun!" I said before sprinting off.

"THERE YOU ARE!" I yelled interrupting their fighting. I stopped a few feet away from them to catch my breath. "UGH! I've been looking for you all day! HERE! Just take the stupid bags!" I said irritatingly giving all three of them the bags. Sasuke sighed and used the distraction to remove himself from the gathering and sit under a tree a few feet away.

Naruto smiled a little and took it. "Thank you, Kia-chan," he said before turning to Sakura. "Please, Sakura-chan?!" he tried again.

She took the bag and glared at Naruto. "I said no you little pest! I'm asking Sasuke!" she said before turning back to look at him with googley eyes.

Sasuke groaned. "Would you both shut up? You're giving me a headache. I'm not going anywhere with anyone. You're both so annoying!" he said moodily eating a cookie.

I crossed my arms and sighed. "Oh, bloody hell. You all are just so cliché and predictable. Honestly…" I complained. "What's the big deal about going out on Valentine's Day?" I asked.

Naruto looked up at me a little taken back. "Ugh…well…" he started.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Are you serious? It's Valentine's Day! It's the holiday of love! A day where you give and get chocolate and spend time with the one you love! There's hearts in the air and it's just so romantic!" she said dreamily.

I sighed. "Seriously? It's just another day with a fancy title."

Shikamaru sighed. "You're one to talk. You just about killed yourself baking cookies and fudge for everyone," he said.

I shrugged. "So? That's different. That's me just wanting to spread the cheer around and be nice to everyone. Holidays give me an excuse to do that," I replied simply. I grinned then ruffled Naruto's hair. "Besides, you couldn't go out with Sakura, anyways. It's Friday! Which means tonight's our movie night!"

Naruto nodded. "Wait a minute. I thought you were supposed to be on lock-down?" Naruto asked.

I shrugged. "It's called compromise and my curfew is almost up so come on!" I said pulling his arm. "Bye Sakura! Bye Sasuke-_KUN_!" I said emphasizing the last part before skipping off.

"Seriously, how can you be so cheerful?" Shikamaru asked once we got back to my little apartment.

I shrugged. "I don't know, I just am. I try not to look on the brighter side and just live each moment, you know? Is that a crime?" I said before plopping in between him and Naruto on the couch. I curled up to where my legs ended up across Shikamaru's lap and I was leaning against Naruto's arms. All that running around started to take its toll on me and I yawned. "Happy V-Day you guys," I said tiredly hardly paying attention to the movie as I was lulled to sleep.

………………………………………………………………

"HEY! Wake up, lazy butt!" I yelled at Shikamaru. "It's already past one!"

He slowly got up off the couch with a yawn. "Fine, I'm up. Troublesome woman," he muttered.

I smacked him upside the head. "Shut up! You troublesome man! Seriously, how long are you staying here? I've been on lock down for over a month now! I haven't been to the hospital since the week before Valentine's Day and there hasn't been any sort of attack or threat of danger since Christmas," I said moodily.

Shikamaru groaned. "Yeah yeah, fine. I'll take it up with the Hokage later."

I sighed and plopped down next to him and gave an angry pout face. "Fine…." Then a thought occurred and I gave a sweet smile. "Shika-kun?" I asked cutely.

He looked up at me through half closed eyes. "What?"

I held out a thick cookbook. "WILL YOU MAKE BREAKFAST!?" I said cheerfully. He only groaned before getting up. "YAY!"

As he set out some eggs and toast I smiled. "Hey, Shika-kun, guess what?" I asked innocently.

"Hm?" was all he replied.

I grinned. "It's my birthday in a couple days!" I said before skipping to the table to eat.

"That's right, it is, huh? What are you going to do?"

I shrugged as I took a bit of toast. "Well, since I'll probably still be on lockdown, I was just going to have everyone come over."

"How well, do you think that'll work?" he asked.

I grinned. "It'll be easy. I'm pretty sure I can get Lee to come. If Hinata comes then I know Kiba and Neji will come. If Neji comes then Tenten will most likely come. Ino and Chouji I know will come and so will Naruto. Let's see… I can probably get Sasuke to come which means Sakura will most likely come. The only person who isn't guaranteed to come is Shino. But I think he'll come," I said using my fingers to list everyone.

Shikamaru nodded absently. "I suppose you want me to go get some more food today then?" he asked boredly.

I grinned. "You catch on quick!" I said before finishing my breakfast. "Have fun!" I shouted before heading into the bathroom.

He only groaned. "Might as well get this over with. What a drag…" he muttered before heading out the door.

When the door closed, Kiamari peeked out from behind the bathroom door and smirked. "Yes! I'm free!" she whispered before changing into her long black sweater with the hood, some black capris and a red tank top. After being sure that Shikamaru was gone, she jumped off the balcony, taking the roofs to avoid confrontation with him as she headed to Hinata's.

"Hey, Hina-chan," I said popping in her window.

She jumped at my voice and looked at me with a nervous smile. "Uh, hey, Kiamari-chan," she said trying to keep her voice calm.

I smiled and jumped into the room. "Guess what? It's my birthday in a couple of days!" I said happily.

She smiled. "That's wonderful, Kiamari-chan!"

I plopped onto her bed. "Yep! You want to come? Technically I'm supposed to be on lockdown still so it'll be at the apartment but it would still be fun. All the girls could spend the night, too." I said while waving my arms about excitedly.

She smiled. "Yes, that would be fun," she said sweetly.

"Hey, Hinata, I couldn't find it. Sorry," Kiba said as he walked into the room and then just stopped and stared.

I grinned. "Hey Kiba-kun!" I said sticking my tongue at him.

"How'd you get in here?" he demanded.

I crossed my arms and gave a pout. "I came in through the window. Sorry if I interrupted something. I just came to officially invite Hinata-chan to my birthday in a couple days. YOU can come if you want but you wouldn't be able to stay for long," I said with a smirk. I glanced to see Hinata looking at him, which I knew would put him on the spot.

He scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Yeah, sure, whatever," he said with a shrug while looking to the side.

I looked out the window, thinking for a moment. "Let's see…. I gave them their invites already, but I don't know if they are coming… and I'll see those two later… Oh! That reminds me! They've been doing little missions all day. I should probably see if they're done yet…" I said listing things off in my head. I turned and smiled back at Hinata. "I should probably get going before Shikamaru-kun gets back with the groceries," I said before giving her a hug. "I'll see you later," I said with a wave before hopping out her window again.

As I hopped the houses' rooftops, I began to hear voices arguing and sighed when I recognized on as Naruto's. I dropped to the ground and began to walk around the corner, trying to be casual but I started to hear more yelling and then it got a little quiet before Sakura started to squeal. 'What the hell was going on?' I thought as I hurriedly rounded the corner. I noticed Naruto talking to Konohamaru along with Sasuke in a tree and Sakura standing nearby. There were two others in front of them whom I couldn't make out. "HEY! What's the problem here?" I demanded before turning to Naruto. "Is everything ok, Naruto-kun?" I asked a little lighter. He looked up but only gave a glaring glance at the two strangers.

They both turned around and the one in black scowled. "Everything's fine. You should leave and mind your own business," he said coldly. But I didn't hear him. I was too busy staring in shock. I couldn't believe it. Although he was hardly recognizable, I distinctly saw Temari in front of me, which meant the guy in black had to be Kankorou.

"Oh my god… Temari… Kankorou?" I asked, barely finding my voice, yet somehow it seemed to sound louder than normal. I let down my black hood to let my hair flow out in the breeze. Something seemed to register in her eyes. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked happily running over to give her a hug.

She smiled and ruffled my hair. "Hey kid, long time no see," she said with a small smile.

Kankorou ignored me and glared back up at Sasuke. "You know, you're the kind of pesky little snot I hate the most; all attitude and nothing to back it up," he said unhitching something from his back.

Temari looked up from me in surprise. "What?! You're going to use the crow for this?!" she said panicked. I was just confused. What was "The Crow"?

"Kankorou, knock it off," said a dark voice suddenly. I bone-chilling shudder ran down my spine as my heart skipped a beat. "You're an embarrassment to our village. Did you forget why we are here?"

I looked up while gasps were being let out. I stared, my eyes wide. "Gaara?" I whispered.

Kankorou made a nervous laugh. "Uh, hey Gaara. You see it wasn't my fault. Uh, they challenged us. It's all their fault you see…"

"Shut up… or I'll kill you," Gaara said mercilessly.

I stared up in shock and glanced at Temari and Kankorou. They looked completely terrified for their lives and Kankorou started to mumble an apology. I looked back up, a little scared myself.

"I'm sorry for any trouble he may have caused," he said turning to look at Sasuke a few feet away from him and locked in a stare for a moment before using his sand to transport back to the ground. "Let's go."

As they passed me, Gaara glanced at me and I froze. His beautiful seafoam green eyes were so cold and I detected something almost evil in them, with intent of killing. I couldn't take my eyes away even after he broke the gaze and just watched as they began to leave. Then Sakura opened her big fat mouth. I didn't quite register other than the accusation of them not allowed to be here. Temari held up a pass and continued on to say something about the chuunin exams. 'Hm, the chuunin exams…. I can't remember what that was…. It sounds familiar, though. Sasuke? What's he going on about now? Oh, he just wants another person to fight… Gaara… his eyes… so cold…' I slowly came back to reality as they began to walk away. Temari looked back once and waved good bye with a sad smile. I frowned. Something just didn't seem right.

"Hey! Where you going Kia-chan?!" Naruto asked obnoxiously.

I looked up real quick. "Huh? I'm just heading back home. Oh, and you're all invited to my birthday in a couple of days," I said, absent mindedly waving behind me.

Shikamaru walked in a few minutes after I did but I didn't welcome him back or say hello or even look towards his general direction really. I just sat on the edge of the balcony, staring into nothing outside, just remembering. He wasn't the Gaara I knew anymore and for some reason it bothered me so much. Maybe it was because he was practically my only friend back in Suna. Or maybe it was those eyes… I shuddered. They were so cold and deadly as if they pierced through the very soul. I sighed. 'What had happened to you Gaara?' I wondered.

"Hello! Did you hear me?" an annoyed voice said.

I jerked my head up. "What? Oh, I'm sorry Shika-kun, were you saying something?" I asked.

He sighed. "What a drag. I was telling you that I went to speak to Lord Hokage on my way to get groceries. He said it was fine for me to stop watching you. You're free to go," he said trying to be cheerful about it.

I nodded and stared back at the clouds. "Mhm… that's nice Shika-kun…" I said half-heartedly.

He frowned and sat on the ledge in front of me. "Is everything ok? You seemed so cheerful earlier."

I shrugged. "It's nothing. Just thinking I guess…" I slightly mumbled. "I think I'll just go to bed. I'm not very hungry," I said shifting off the rail and going into my bedroom. Shikamaru just stared after in saddened disbelief.

By the time I woke up, it was already past noon. I sighed as I got up and went into the kitchen. It wasn't until after I sat down with my bowl of cereal that the silence began to overwhelm me. I looked around and even peered over at the couch. Nothing. I frowned and turned back to the bowl of cereal. "Hm… Shika-kun must have left already…" I muttered.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a piece of paper and slowly got up to look at it. "Huh… it's from Shikamaru-kun… so he already has another mission? Will be back in time for my birthday… and… KAKASHI CALLED A TEAM MEETING THIS MORNING!? CRAP!" I yelled running to the bedroom to change into my spandex shorts, top, ninja skirt, jacket and shoes with the leggings before jumping out the window to hop the roofs again to the bridge.

I slowed to a jog as I saw Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto. "Is… Kakashi-sensei… not… here… yet?" I asked catching my breath once I came to a stop.

Sakura shook her head. "Uh… no, he's late as usual," she stated a little annoyed. I gave out a short sigh of relief. Never was I more grateful for such a lazy sensei.

"Hey guys. Sorry I'm late, I got lost on the road of life," Kakashi said on top of the gate. Sakura and Naruto pointed and yelled liar. I sighed. "Ah, good, you're here Kiamari," he said before jumping down and holding out four forms. "Let's get to the chase. I've nominated all four of you to participate in the Chuunin exams. These are your application forms. Of course it's completely voluntary and if you don't feel ready, you can wait until next year," he said handing us the forms.

"All right! You're the best Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted hugging Kakashi.

"Ugh! Get off of me!" he said pushing him off. "Now, anyone who wants to participate in the exam, sign the forms and bring it to room three zero one in five days at the academy. Oh, and the actual exam is in exactly one week," he said before disappearing.

I let out a sigh and walked off. "I'll see you guys later. I've got a couple of things to take care of today," I said waving behind me.

"Is it just me, or do we not see her very often anymore?" Sakura asked bluntly.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I wonder what's up?" he replied a little loudly.

Someone appeared in front of me suddenly and I stared a little shocked. "Uh… can I help you? OH! Ebisu-sensei? What are you doing here?" I asked a little confused. I hadn't seen him in almost a yaer.

"Ah, Kiamari-san, Lord Hokage-sama wishes to see you," he said politely.

I nodded. "Oh, uh, ok. Thank you. I'll go see him right away," I replied before walking past him.

I knocked on the door to the Hokage's office and heard a c faint come in and opened the door. I froze when I saw Temari. "Uh, you needed to see me, Hokage-sama?" I asked trying to avoid looking at Temari.

He nodded. "Yes, Kiamari. Are you participating in the Chuunin exams?" he asked.

I nodded a little confusedly. "Yes, I was planning on it."

He nodded again. "I see. The reason I ask is that in the chuunin exams, you are divided into your teams of three when you participate. However, since you were stationed here by the order of the Kazekage, we placed you with Team Kakashi under the pretense of a temporary basis," he began to explain.

"Wait, are you saying I cannot participate?" I asked surprised.

He shook his head. "No, I'm saying that you have the absolute choice on how to go about this. You may choose a team to enter with, or, with a few pulled strings, you may enter on your own," he stated.

I looked from him to Temari for a split second then looked down. "May I have a day to think, Lord Hokage-sama?" I asked quietly. He nodded. "Domo arigato," I mumbled before excusing myself.

He turned back to Temari as I left. "So you think this may be for the best?"

She nodded. "Baki-sensei has direct orders from Lord Kazekage-sama," she replied uncertainly.

He nodded. "Very well. You are dismissed," he said turning around in his chair. Temari gave a slight bow and left.

I sat on the roof of my apartment and let out a sigh. "If I decide to stay with a team, then someone may have to participate next year. But how would I even begin to survive if I go alone?" I muttered.

"You could join our team."

I turned around to see Temari standing a few feet behind me. "Temari-chan? But if I do that, won't someone be kicked off?" I asked.

Temari shrugged. "Probably not. Lord Kazekage-sama is on his way here for the exams and I'm sure he'll be able to work something out with the Hokage," she said sitting beside me.

I looked away sadly. "Temari-chan… what happened to Gaara-kun?" I asked as I stared down at my feet. "No one would tell me before and then I was sent here…" I couldn't finish. The pain was welling up inside me again. The feeling of being alone and unwanted crept back into me. That awful feeling that no one wanted me and just dumped me here in Konoha.

She sighed. "It's really hard to explain and I'm really not the one who should tell you Kiamari-san. It's not right and it's not my place to say," she said softly.

I nodded. "I thought you might say that… I think the only one who would tell me is Gaara… but he's shut me out. He shut me out before I even left Suna…" I started, remembering the last day I had seen him.

Temari nodded. "It's because everyone's scared of him. Everyone has hurt him. He probably couldn't handle you being nice to him," she said stroking my long hair. "If you ever do find out what happened, it would probably make more sense," she said with a nervous smile. "I see you grew out your hair," she added, changing the subject.

I gave a soft chuckle and stroked a few strands of my hair. "Yeah, I never cut it once. I kind of miss it being short sometimes, though. Maybe I should cut it for my birthday," I added absently.

"Birthday?" Temari asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, my birthday's in two days. Why?" I asked.

"Huh, I didn't know you're birthday was coming up, that's all. Could we come?" she asked with a smirk.

I laughed. "Well, if you can convince Kankorou and they won't cause any trouble, I don't see a problem."

She laughed nervously. "Well, I can't promise anything, but I'll try, for uh, old times sake," she said before standing up. She ruffled my head with a smile. "See you later, kid."

I watched her leave for a second and sighed. "Sorry, Temari-chan, but I don't think joining your team would be a good idea… I think I'll just have to go at this alone," I muttered as the cool evening breeze flowed through my hair.

…………………………………………………………

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" yelled the group outside my door. I laughed and moved out of the way so they could get in. Naruto pushed past all of them eagerly so he was the first one in. Yep, everyone showed up. Well, almost everyone. The sand siblings were not here but part of me didn't expect them to come.

"There's food and stuff on the table," I said over the noise. "NARUTO! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT GETTING INTO THAT CAKE! THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO CHOUJI!" I shouted at them as they peered into the fridge.

…………………………………………………………

Temari stared into the mirror as she fixed her clothes and make up. She began to fix her pony-tails as Kankorou just stared boredly.

"Seriously, what are you doing Temari?" Kankorou finally asked.

She turned around and glared. "Seeing an old friend. It's her birthday after all," she snapped. Kankorou cocked his head to the side confusedly. She sighed. "Honestly, did either of you pay attention the other day? While YOU were picking a fight, Kankorou, Kiamari-chan came up. Apparently, she's still here after all these years. It looks like she made friends with all those losers, though," she said glancing at Gaara who was now staring at her in the corner of his eyes. "Her hair certainly got long. She's as skinny as a stick, though and still a little short," she said with a chuckle before turning from the mirror with her hands on her hips and she started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Kankorou asked a little annoyed.

She shook her head. "Oh I was just remembering how we had to keep defending her at school. Remember how she would get in so many fights at school defending Gaara?" she said glancing to Gaara again. He stiffened a little and she knew she struck a nerve. "You know, I can't believe she actually remembers all of us after all this time to be honest. You know, she actually misses us and Suna? She even missed you, Gaara," she started but Gaara glared at her.

"Shut up, Temari," he said coldly.

She shrugged. "Fine, but I'm leaving. She said you two could come if you wanted," she offered heading out the door.

"Sure, why not," Kankorou muttered following after her. Despite giving the impression that he didn't care, Gaara followed as well.

………………………………………………………………………….

I was laughing my ass off as Naruto continuously made a fool of himself and was trying to start a fight with Sasuke who was just glaring daggers at him. I suddenly heard a loud knock on the door. It was probably the neighbors complaining about the noise. "Ok, ok, calm down a little guys. I have to see who this is," I said motioning towards the door. "Hello?" I asked as I opened the door. "Oh! Hey, Temari-chan. I didn't think you'd actually come for a moment there," I said motioning them in. It grew quiet almost immediately.

Temari smirked. "Nice place, Kiamari," she said looking around at the packed apartment. "Did you make friends with the whole village?" she teased.

I laughed a little rubbing my arm nervously. Why did it have to get so quiet all of a sudden?

"What the hell are THEY doing here? They're the enemy, Kia-chan!" Naruto yelled obnoxiously. I glared at him but noticed almost everyone had a similar facial expression. Everyone else was either just confused or looking away nervously.

"Yeah, you shouldn't be here," Sakura added.

"Exactly! This is a party! You're not invited, BELIEVE IT!" Naruto yelled again.

"Uh, maybe we SHOULD go," Temari started but I held out my hand.

"No, it's fine," I said quietly through clenched teeth. I made a fist and with a little chakra flowing to it, I walked deliberately towards Naruto and punched him hard in the face. Everyone stayed silent as he fell to the couch.

He looked up with hurt shock. "Kiamari-chan but…" he started a little sadly.

I cut him off and kept glaring down at him. "Shut up! Don't you damn dare disrespect my guests! These are my friends, too. Anyone who has a problem with that can just leave now," I said darkly.

Naruto looked down. The look in his eye was so sad. It was as if he was a kid whose favorite toy just got crushed. Still, he said nothing. Everyone else stayed perfectly still and silent. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Sakura cowering behind Sasuke, afraid she would be the next one to be hit.

I glanced down as Nekomata walked up. "Meow?" she said cutely, breaking the silence. I relaxed and smiled as I picked her up. "Hi Neko," I said sweetly before looking back up with my usual toothy grin. "Now, who wants some cake?" I asked happily going to the kitchen. The conversations slowly started again as Temari followed me into the kitchen. Kankorou went into the kitchen after getting a little bit to snack on and I noticed Gaara just settled himself into a corner.

"You didn't have to do that," Temari started as I rummaged through the fridge.

I smiled when I came back up with the cake. "Yes I did. Naruto-kun was out of line so I fixed the situation. He knows better," I said nonchalantly with a certain giddiness put back into my voice. "I don't care what happened the other day and I don't care that you're competing in the chuunin exams. They'll just have to learn that you're my friends, too."

Temari smirked. "Huh, never knew you could be so cold, Kimaari," she said humorously.

I shrugged. "It's how I am," I said turning to look at her. "You haven't been around for years but my personality has changed more than you think." I grabbed a knife from a drawer and turned back to the cake on the counter. "To be honest, I don't really have a true personality anymore. I still have that certain care free quality of innocence I did when I was five, but, well, the years have been lonely and bitter. Even with everyone here, there's always something missing." I smiled as I put the square slices onto plates. "I just go each day at a time and try to live on." I gave a sharp whistle. "HEY! The cakes ready!" I said before people started to crowd into the kitchen. I quickly grabbed a piece and isolated myself away from the crowd against a wall to eat the chocolate cake.

I looked up at some point to see Shikamaru sitting down in front of me. I gave a faint smile. "Hey Shika-kun," I said looking back at my cake. I picked at it a little with my fork. "How was the mission?"

He looked uncomfortable. "It was successful. How's your birthday going?" he asked.

I smiled. "It's going pretty good. I'd have to say hitting Naruto was quite the highlight," I joked. He nodded but I noticed a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Oh, liven up Shika-chan! It's my birthday, you're not allowed to be sad!" I teased.

He sighed. "Troublesome woman. How can you always be so happy?"

I shrugged and put a finger to my chin thoughtfully tapping it. "Hm, I don't really know. I guess I just am!" I said with a grin.

"Really, so the other day when you looked so sad was just a fluke?" he asked. I lost the smile and looked away, saying nothing. "You can't just keep your feelings held up you know. You should talk every once in a while and actually let people in. You're friendship with people shouldn't be just an illusion," he stated.

I looked back up with a slight glare. "Oh, and what about you? At least I show emotion. But you just complain and always have a monotone voice as if the whole world is boring. Instead of sitting here and lecturing me, why don't you actually get up off your lazy ass and join in on the fun for once!? Or better yet, don't ever go at all. Then you won't bring anyone down." I snapped before getting up and walking back to the crowd. Shikamaru sighed and watched me leave.

"Kiamari-chan! Can we open presents now?!" Lee stated over enthusiastically.

I laughed as I put my plate in the sink. "Of course! Come on, we'll do it over by the couch," I said cheerfully sitting down.

…………………….

"Thanks again for coming! I loved the gifts!" I said happily as everyone started to leave Hinata and Ino looked back.

"You sure you don't want us to spend the night or something?" Ino said happily.

I smiled. "No, I think I want some time just to soak in the days events. Besides, I have to get some rest and prepare for the Chuunin exam tomorrow." They nodded and reluctantly left.

Temari stood by me in the doorway as Kankorou and Gaara left. "Sorry we didn't get you anything," she said.

I shrugged. "Nah, it's fine. It's not about the gifts. I'm just glad you guys came," I said with a smile.

She smiled back. "See you at the exams, kid," she said before following her brothers.

With a sad smile I closed the door before absently going to the roof. I took a long deep breath as I sat looking up at the night sky. I stiffened as I heard a footstep and turned around with my eyes wide as I saw who it was.

_**MUAHAHAHAHA! CLIFF HANGER! I have a new fetish with doing that. It's fun. Next chapter: The Chuunin Exam! MUAHAHA! (cough gags on evil laughing) **_


	10. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

**Important Notice**

Hello dear readers. As of today it has been exactly two years since I have updated this story. I'm sorry to get your hopes up on this update and even sorrier to say this story will most likely still not be updated anytime soon, if at all. Life has been very busy, my computer crashed erasing all of my files, and given how long it's been, I just don't know where this story is going anymore. Now, this doesn't mean there isn't hope, it's just a really slim chance I may find my muse and old train of thought and pick this story up again. I don't want this to discourage you from reading any of my other stories or even going back and rereading this one. I'm always open for ideas and suggestions as well. In fact they'd be very much appreciated because the smallest things can trigger so much inspiraion. Thank you for your patience and loyalty all this time.


End file.
